Hi-Tech Security Solutions asked three industry players whether video verification really added value to the alarm equation.
According to Colin van Til, product manager intrusion & fire for ADI, GSM applications that enable remote upload/download over GPRS are among the new products entering the market. “We are also seeing the introduction of outdoor keypads and graphic colour keypads which are able to display a family picture when the alarm is in sleep mode.
Perhaps the most promising news for consumers though, is the increasing ability to monitor and control alarm systems from a cellphone. “Systems are being configured to enable opening or closing of electronic locks and turning on and off of lights or even cameras so you can view what is happening from any remote location,” says Van Til.
“Two-way communication through voice or video is becoming more popular and has apparently eliminated the previous reservations held by some customers who believed that this form of alarm detection was perhaps too intrusive,” says Zane Greeff, technical director at Elvey Security Technologies.
“With traditional one-way communication alarm systems, the home- or business-owner receives notification of an alarm being triggered at their premises. However, there are inevitable time delays in response to the activation and in each instance, the armed response personnel enter a situation where they have little information about the potential threat.
“Fortunately, with the advances in technology, both the property owner and the response unit receive timeous information on the potential threat, which allows suitable remedial action to be taken to address this threat in a safe and controlled manner.”
The feedback received via a voice feed only, while better than no feedback at all, can be difficult to interpret in terms of indicating how many people are actually present at the property in question. Video feedback from surveillance cameras is superior to voice-only feedback as it allows the control room operator and the property owner to develop a clearer picture of the number of assailants on site and whether they are armed.
Video verification is the future
“First prize is a combination of the two methodologies. The determination of the best practice for any installation is obviously dependent on a number of factors, including the existing infrastructure demands and the budget available to the property owner,” Greeff continues.
Apart from increasing the safety and wellbeing of any respondents to the alarm activation, video verification also reduces costs. The number of false alarm callouts can be reduced, releasing response personnel to focus on actual intrusions instead of dogs wandering in front of a sensor or the kids running around.
Ernest Mallett, Tyco Security Products’ regional sales manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, agrees. “The key to limiting the impact of false alarms is alarm verification. That is, the ability to remotely assess whether an alarm event was triggered by a real intrusion or safety threat, or by something innocuous, such as a window left open or a family member forgetting to disarm the alarm upon returning home.”
Van Til believes that the accuracy levels of systems are definitely improving and the number of false alarms is decreasing, thus increasing the desirability of owning an alarm system.
“An alarm is no longer a system that merely provides an audible response to a possible threat, but because of increasing accuracy and the introduction of verification into the equation, it has become a definitive indicator of an intrusion,” adds Greeff.
Mallett confirms this approach. “Visual alarm verification eliminates unnecessary site checks and ensures that police are called only when truly needed, thus lessening the load on all resources, which ultimately results in a more efficient combined response effort concentrated on real events.”
Keeping control, not losing it
Greeff cautions property owners, who now have previously unavailable data to hand, not to adopt a Rambo approach. “Armed response units are trained to evaluate each situation to determine the most prudent course of action. They are also able to remove emotion from the equation; something which most property owners, when faced with the possible violation of their assets, are unable to do.
“Visual or voice verification should be seen as a means of confirming that unauthorised entry is occurring. In this way, property owners are able to work together with experienced security personnel to mitigate against threats.
“On the other side of the coin, it is important for property owners to ensure that the security company they are employing to protect their assets is reputable. All the technology in the world means naught if the security company responding to it does not subscribe to industry recognised standards and regulations,” notes Greeff.
Hot technology
Mallett says that the combination of three different technologies into one product has provided Tyco customers with increased assurances. “Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) changes the frequency of a transmission at intervals faster than an intruder can retune a jamming device.
“TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) is a digital transmission technology that allows a number of users to access a single radio-frequency (RF) channel without interference by allocating unique time slots to each user within each channel. Finally, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric (private key) encryption standard that uses a single key which is a shared secret between the sender and receiver to encrypt and decrypt data.”
Van Til said that ADI’s PIMA Video alarm Verification Reporter (VVR) is an IP video server specifically designed to capture real-time alarm situations in secured areas. “Once an event (alarm) occurs in a certain area, the VVR sends a short real-time video clip directly to an e-mail account or an FTP server. The software decodes TCP/IP frames from the net4pro unit and/or the GSM-200 (GPRS) and supervises all units for life signal.”
Very importantly, all systems, irrespective of the brand, should have the ability to provide both real-time monitoring of the events while simultaneously supplying an events log with a time stamp. This allows any recorded material to be used as evidence, provided that the material recorded is of a high enough quality to allow positive identification of perpetrators.
To wire or not to wire
Having determined that video verification is desirable, is wireless communication the route to take with regard to alarm monitoring and intruder detection?
“Wireless technology reduces the installation time, reduces risk to the customer’s premises due to accidental damage caused by installation crews and provides an aesthetically pleasing installation,” says Van Til. “There are many peripheral wireless devices that are available, including carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors and water detectors. These all make it easier to give the customer a total solution for their property that readily matches their décor.”
“It has become obvious that wired security systems cannot fully answer customer demands. Wired security technologies involve complex, expensive and time-consuming installations. Add to this the negative visual impact of wires for new peripherals or system upgrades running in existing homes and buildings, resulting in a tangible level of disruption to the permanent décor,” Mallett adds.
Another advantage to wireless technology is that criminals cannot tamper with wires. By only using high-end proprietary products, rather than entry-level, off-the-shelf Wi-Fi items, users will have more finite control over the security of the system.
Greeff believes that the wireless IP route is definitely one that is gaining momentum. “However, there is currently still resistance from a number of people because of the perceived cost of installation. This situation will change as more people see the long term benefits, convenience and cost savings that can be realised with wireless technology.”
There is a broad offering of wireless systems and components available for both residential and small commercial customers. By focusing on wire-free installations, which are generally faster and simpler than wired system installations, security service providers can handle more installations, while at the same time satisfying the property owners’ requirements for reliability and ease of use.”
The intention at all times is to stay at least one step ahead of the increasingly astute criminal element. Companies that are prepared to think outside the box and invest in R&D to counter the intuitive criminal intent will find favour with property owners. Visual verification of events has manifold benefits, which ultimately accrue to provide enhanced protection of life and limb and the reduced cost of false alarms.
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