Mike Rose, Vice President of Sales at IDIS Americas examines the ways to protect offices and corporate spaces.
Segmenting an office environment based on specific zones of protection allows one to select the most suitable imaging solutions more easily for each area.
Custom configured products, costly software licensing fees and video analytics tools are not necessary for every zone.
By evaluating and understanding these zones of protection and identifying the specific video security requirements for each zone of corporate spaces, security teams can optimize their resources and surveillance coverage to achieve optimal results.
It helps to visualize a corporate space much like a fortress where penetration becomes increasingly difficult moving from the perimeter towards the center.
This is intentional, as the most valuable assets are typically located furthest from the perimeter and entry points.
As such, the video security measures deployed at each level serve different functions based on varying priorities.
Using a multi-layered approach, let’s explore the critical zones of protection and the supporting surveillance technology most appropriate for each.
There is no blueprint for selecting the best solutions for each zone of protection on a campus.
When designing a campus-wide surveillance solution for corporate spaces, it’s advisable to subdivide these three primary zones into multiple sub-layers to address specific challenges and needs.
Perimeter intrusion detection (PID) is available in many form factors ranging from simple fences to radar and advanced sensors, but video surveillance remains a mainstay technology for mainstream physical security applications in corporate spaces.
There are a number of highly advanced AI tools now embedded in IP cameras that automatically identify humans and vehicles from animals and/or objects that may be lurking beyond the perimeter of a corporate campus and trigger specific alarms or events.
For example, a guard house can be outfitted with an AI embedded camera that automatically sounds an alarm if a car or human approaches the entrance of a campus during off hours.
Once detected, an alarm can be sounded to alert security personnel in a remote security operations center (SOC) of a potential intrusion, sound an audible alarm or strobe light at the site of the event, or initiate some other predetermined action.
To help eliminate false alarms, the AI cameras can be masked to limit their detection range to include only very specific areas of interest not impacted by nearby roads, bicycle paths or other areas prone to high traffic.
Deploying AI embedded cameras with intelligence at the edge provides significant cost savings in large systems versus system wide analytics by allowing users to deploy analytics on an as needed basis.
The ability to detect and view images clearly in the dark is critical to perimeter security for corporate spaces.
This can be accomplished in several ways without the need for expensive exterior lighting that is limited in range.
One such solution is Lightmaster technology, an advanced chipset-based solution that sees into virtual darkness over long distances without supplemental sources of illumination or the artifacts created by traditional Infrared (IR) lighting.
Bullet cameras with 12X electronic zoom and 4K resolution are a preferred camera configuration for perimeter applications like remote parking lot surveillance.
Their electronic zoom capabilities deliver long range image capture capabilities with great detail.
The extended field of view, combined with AI embedded features and night vision capabilities, can autonomously alert security personnel of impending threats 24/7 in corporate spaces.
It is also important to select outdoor imaging devices that are IP66 rated to protect them from water and dust, as well as IK10 rated for impact resistance.
Cameras with embedded LPR technology enhance both security and access control, ensuring that all vehicles are documented with the appropriate levels of access.
For example, LPR cameras can detect authorized vehicles and open motorized gates automatically at employee parking areas.
LPR can also be used to detect known offenders or ex-employees and alert security of their presence.
The latest generation LPR cameras capture precise details of vehicle plate data and color, along with embedded AI features enabling enhanced vehicle detection and classification to help eliminate false alarms.
New video intercom solutions provide the dual function of enabling two-way audio, close area surveillance and access control for corporate spaces.
Professional video intercoms can be integrated with various other security and communications systems such as access control and IP phone systems.Â
The combination of outdoor physical features from the perimeter of a corporate campus to building entrances varies from one location to the next.
As a result, there are several viable imaging technologies and camera configurations that can be combined to provide the highest levels of security and cost-efficiency.
AI embedded cameras provide a high degree of versatility and efficiency with the ability to deploy the specific features best suited to each individual camera location.
With the proliferation of AI embedded technology, users now also have a wide selection of camera form factors that employ new and powerful feature sets.
The most prevalent AI embedded camera form factors for general surveillance are available in turret, dome and pane-tilt-zoom (PTZ) configurations.
New fisheye and multi-sensor cameras provide exceptional wide area surveillance with up to 360° coverage ideal for traffic intersections and parking lots, vastly reducing the number of cameras that would otherwise be required for comprehensive surveillance.
These cameras also are available with AI intelligence at the edge, further adding to their utility for a wide range of campus and corporate space surveillance applications.
Empowering security personnel with a direct means of communication, surveillance cameras with two-way audio enable real-time interaction with individuals who may need assistance or directions and to confront individuals with ill intent.
Video with two-way audio enforces verification procedures and heightens corporate space security services with a positive user experience.
These versatile cameras can also be integrated with automated alarms to sound pre-recorded audio messages with real-time warnings and notifications.
PTZ cameras provide operators with real-time manual camera tracking control, as well as the ability to program automated patrols.
To maintain widespread awareness while tracking a specific vehicle or individual, some PTZs feature the capability to maintain the larger image scene while zooming in specific potential suspects and precise details.
An AI camera’s ability to detect and differentiate humans from other objects is critical in providing loitering detection.
Similarly, trip detection can sound an alert if an individual violates a preset area within a scene, for example, to prevent people from entering public fountains, utility areas or construction areas.
There are some surveillance imaging challenges that are typical across all facility interiors covering a broad range of topics ranging from lighting conditions to aesthetics, system management and control and of course, budget.
Conducting a thorough site survey and needs analysis is critical to help determine what you need and where you need it most.
In environments subject to changing lighting conditions, such as lobbies and public spaces with large windows, the combination of artificial lighting and varying degrees of natural light can render many imaging devices useless during specific times of the day.
Cameras with wide dynamic range (WDR) automatically compensate for changing lighting conditions including bright sunlight and shadowed areas.
Balancing exposure levels, WDR ensures clear and detailed image capture, regardless of the lighting challenges present in common areas.
Wide area coverage is as important to monitoring interior spaces as it is for open exterior areas of interest.
Common areas like lobbies, break rooms and cafeterias often require multiple cameras to ensure comprehensive coverage in these typically high traffic areas.
Here is where high performance fisheye cameras really shine, providing an extremely effective means of enhancing security using fewer cameras, which results in lower overall product and installation costs.
Today’s video management system (VMS) platforms offer powerful features and capabilities, making them difficult to differentiate on a feature-by-feature basis.
Three specific VMS comparison criteria you should look for include scalability, health checking (video assurance) and annual licensing fees, which directly impact total cost of ownership.
An additional feature to look for is the ability to easily configure viewing options such as a video wall, which can deliver additional cost savings and better operator experience.
Systems employing distributed architecture where network video recorders (NVRs)/servers with failover recording are strategically located at various physical locations across a corporate space ensure that your video footage is being recorded.
An additional safeguard is to deploy cameras with on-board recording that triggers if/when the primary recorders are offline for any reason.
Advanced cameras with intelligence at the edge will then automatically download the recorded back-up once connection to the primary recorders is re-established.
Failover, failsafe recoding should be high on your list of system imperative to ensure you always have access to the video data you need when you need it.
Protecting today’s corporate spaces is a challenge with new and emerging threats to people, property and assets.
Having the right technologies in place can make all the difference in ensuring campus-wide security and safety across every zone of protection.
This article was originally published in the June edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.