Smartech leading technology partner Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, today announced the latest deep integration to result from its enduring partnership with Bosch Security Systems (“Bosch”). Users of the widely deployed Bosch MAP 5000 intrusion alarm panels can now directly connect to Genetec Security Center through the Intrusion Manager, combining intrusion, video and access control into one intuitive interface.

Facility and security managers have traditionally been required to manage intrusion settings and alarms manually through a keypad or via a separate system. This results in inefficient task switching to understand the context of an alarm, longer response times and a disconnected overview of security and operations. However, integration with Genetec Security Center ensures operators can monitor all intrusion events on dynamic maps alongside other security data such as video footage or access control records. This provides a fuller real-time understanding of what is happening in the facility so that organizations can react faster and contribute to more efficient day-to-day operations.

The integration also provides customers with additional intrusion management capabilities. This includes the ability to operate all intrusion systems from a central location, an alarm persistence feature that identifies where alarms originated, and a specialized interface to ensure operations can quickly arm specific zones while continuing to monitor the rest of the system. Furthermore, it offers the potential for customers to take advantage of other integrations and modules available within Security Center. For example, with Genetec Mission Control, users can go beyond monitoring and implement a comprehensive decision support system that ensures each intrusion event is handled in compliance with the organization’s standard operating procedures.

To learn about Smartech Solutions and Services call us at our toll free number: (800) 866-0162

Credits to Genetec Newsroom

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According to the latest research from its video surveillance and analytics intelligence service Omdia (Informa), Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), Smartech technology partner of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, continues to build its position as the world’s number one developer of video surveillance software with a widening share of the market. Overall, Genetec grew at three times the market’s pace and demonstrated the fastest growth of all leading* software companies across all geographies.

“Genetec is encouraged by this news but we remind ourselves that the true measure of success is not to be found in market share figures but whether or not our partners and customers feel like we have delivered against the service levels and outcomes they expect,” states Pierre Racz, President, Genetec Inc. “Our independence and single-mindedness have helped us earn the trust of the market, and our investment in research and development have helped us deliver products at the cutting edge of client needs.”

Racz continues, “We have a broader obligation to our communities and society. As such we have been outspoken about privacy and cyber-security. We strongly believe that security and privacy can coexist and deliver greater benefits together than in isolation. We also believe that this is what fuels our continued success with organizations that share these values. We will continue to work hard to earn their trust.”  

Enterprise, government, education, and public safety organizations alike are seeking greater privacy and cybersecurity functionality, as well as additional operational value and return on investment from their physical security systems. Their requirement for a secure video surveillance solution as part of a truly unified physical security platform has resulted in Genetec outpacing market growth across all geographies.

“The Genetec share of the global video surveillance software market continues to grow year on year,” said Jon Cropley Principal Analyst, Video Surveillance at Omdia. “The company reported high growth in all regions including in EMEA where, in spite of a slower market that contracted by over 3%, Genetec revenues increased by 19%.” 

Additionally, according to the report, Genetec is now the #1 western supplier for back-end video surveillance equipment which combines recorders, encoders and software, demonstrating an increasing demand for trustworthy devices from a recognized leader in privacy and cybersecurity. 

To learn about Smartech Solutions and Services call us at our toll free number: (800) 866-0162

Credits to Genetec Newsroom

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Transit agencies have traditionally relied on multiple single-purpose proprietary systems that don’t interconnect. To help security, IT, operations and vehicle maintenance staff work together, Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), one of Smartech leading technology partners of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, today announced a portfolio of solutions designed to help transit organizations unify their security and operations from a single intuitive interface. The Genetec Transit Portfolio enables key stakeholders to work in sync using a solution that unifies wayside and onboard security with operational and intelligence products that leverage their existing security infrastructure to bring additional insights. 

Most onboard and wayside systems are built on separate, closed architectures that require costly custom updates and integrations to communicate with other systems in a limited way. Transitioning to a single, open platform under a single pane of glass helps unify systems while laying the foundation for coordinated processes, efficient incident response, and collaborative work. This makes it easier to build internal processes to increase an agency’s overall operational efficiency. Additionally, transit agencies are increasingly being solicited for information from external partners (neighboring transit agencies, law enforcement, city services, etc.). A unified system establishes an infrastructure that facilitates sharing data while keeping it secure.   

“To meet evolving demands and travelers’ expectations, transit agencies need to find creative ways to provide a safe and seamless journey for their customers, while also having the right systems and protocols in place to ensure efficient operations,” said Jermaine Santoya, Industry Marketing Manager for Intelligent Mobility at Genetec. “Using a unified security platform allows them to track all events in their vehicles and premises, record and retrieve actionable information efficiently, and provide an optimal experience for all commuters.” 

At the core of the Genetec Transit Portfolio is the Genetec Security Center platform which unifies video management, access control and Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) capabilities. 

With the Security Center Omnicast video management system (VMS), transit agencies can monitor their infrastructure and vehicles to help protect commuters and staff using a wide range of industry-leading cameras, encoders, and CCTV equipment.   

Security Center Synergis access control system secures entrances for staff and commuters, improves compliance, while leveraging existing network and third-party access control devices. 

Security Center AutoVu automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) makes it easier for parking management teams to enforce parking restrictions by locating and counting vehicles of interest like buses, taxis, and car-sharing services, and providing a real-time inventory of vehicles on access roads and in monitored parking lots. 

The Genetec transit portfolio also includes a number of transit-specific capabilities: 

Security Center Fleet Monitoring: provides a unified, non-proprietary solution, to configure and interact with the different devices on board each vehicle in a fleet to provide live video, GPS localization, and vehicle telematics. 

Security Center Transportation Sensor Management: ingests data from a wide variety of sensors to count people or vehicles entering the premises, track occupancy, and serve as triggers for procedures. 

Sipelia Communications Management: extends a transit organization’s security with SIP-based communications that promotes collaboration between colleagues through embedded audio and video calls while allowing operations staff to manage public address systems as well as incoming and outgoing calls with intercom devices.  

The portfolio also includes a number of additional options including: 

Genetec Mission Control is a collaborative decision management system that empowers transit agencies to use their existing sensors and security devices to collect and qualify data to identify complex situations and incidents. Once incidents are identified, the system launches a response that allows operators to follow transit-specific processes and meet compliance requirements. 

The Genetec Clearance collaborative investigation management system can help speed up investigations by allowing agencies to securely collect, manage, and share evidence from different sources with both internal and external stakeholders. 

Streamvault is a line of turnkey security infrastructure solutions that range from workstations to fully furnished servers and hardened onboard computers for vehicle fleets. 

To learn about Smartech Solutions and Services call us at our toll free number: (800) 866-0162

Credits to Genetec Newsroom

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People typically spend up to 90 percent of their time in buildings. With the coronavirus pandemic, commercial buildings are operating with much fewer occupants. 

That’s possible, in part, because of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which enable autonomous operations.

“We’re starting to see evidence, strong evidence, that the world is realizing that autonomous really matters for business continuity,” said David Trice, the chief product officer for Honeywell Forge, our enterprise software business. “Being able to make decisions and judgements that are automatically pushed to a facility, to make the change or updates, or turn things off.”

Those actions are critical at a time when people can’t visit a location to make those changes for you, he added.

Credits to Honeywell Newsroom

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As many retailers, restaurants and public venues get set to start reopening in the coming days and weeks, the need to enforce physical distancing measures is critical. To help these organizations monitor their occupancy levels and ensure compliance with regulations, Genetec Inc.(“Genetec”), a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions today announced a new Occupancy Management Package.

The Occupancy Management Package includes analytics and reporting tools that enable organizations to tap into their security system to count the number of people in a store or similar business area, visualize data, and alert employees when occupancy limits are being reached. Audit reports can also be easily produced to demonstrate a business’ compliance with physical distancing regulations. 

With this new package, organizations can define policies that adhere to local guidelines for occupancy, and mobilize their operations to limit the risk of transmission. Live occupancy data is displayed in clear, graphical ways. When occupancy limits are being reached, employees who are responsible for monitoring the situation can receive alerts on a mobile device, via email, or on their Security Center dashboard so they can take appropriate action.  

“As public-facing organizations get ready to re-open, they are looking for ways to align security measures in adherence with physical distancing regulations to keep their staff and patrons safe,” said Rob Borsch, Practice Leader – Retail and Banking at Genetec, Inc. “In order to enforce these strict occupancy rules, they will need to do more than just count the number of people entering their premises – they will need to know how many people are inside a store or restaurant at any given moment, continuously monitor this data, and be able to take action when thresholds are reached.”  

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 The announcement came after reviewing the current travel conditions and the importance of staying connected and is significantly expanding its digital initiatives to make it easier for customers and partners to stay connected and informed over the coming months. Following the success of Genetec Connect’DX, the Genetec virtual trade show and conference, the company is planning a similar event in the fall. Genetec is also ramping up its education programs with the immediate online availability of its entire technical curriculum, including instructor-led classes, bespoke training, and self-paced learning options. Genetec also announced it would significantly reduce attendance at major in-person trade shows, conventions and conferences for the rest of the year.

“The whole Genetec team is motivated and engaged to help the people who put their trust in us,” said Pierre Racz, President of Genetec, Inc. “These initiatives are about doing the right thing for our customers, our employees, and the industry as a whole. While we are all keen to get back on the road and interact with our customers and colleagues in person, I would much rather lose business than put a single customer or employee at risk.”

Connect’DX, the Genetec Digital Experience 
Over 8,200 industry professionals from all over the world registered for Connect’DX. Each of the 4,750 attendees who participated in the event spent an average of 9 hours each attending expert panels, educational sessions and product demos, and visiting partners’ booths, leading to a total of 20,057 unique presentation views and 22,426 booth visits. Over 40 hours of content from Connect’DX is now available on demand from the registration page, for existing registrants, and the post show registration page for newcomers. 

Building on the success of its first virtual trade show, Genetec is planning another Connect’DX event this fall. An invitation-only gathering, it will be targeted at partners, consultants and end users. The company is also announcing a bi-weekly podcast that will explore the everyday challenges of managing and improving security, operations and intelligence with a practical look at real-world solutions and best practices. More information on both initiatives will follow in the coming weeks. 

“We are presented with a significant opportunity to reassess our in-person events model and think in nontraditional ways,” said Andrew Elvish, Vice President of Marketing at Genetec. “Looking ahead, we will be putting the emphasis on our signature in-person events such as our Connect series, and in the near term focusing on digital experiences that deliver a high level of engagement without having to travel. The overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from everyone who participated in our first digital experience, Connect’DX, clearly demonstrates that the physical security industry is ready to embrace new ways of connecting, networking and learning.” 

Online training and certification 
To ensure continued access to its training and certification classes in spite of the current travel restrictions, Genetec is making its entire course curriculum and instructor-led classes available online, leveraging the latest learning technologies. In the last 6 weeks, the Genetec education team has already remotely trained over 900 professionals and is ramping up its schedule of offerings with live training courses across all time zones while also offering opportunities for self-paced learning. Bespoke training is now also available online with a dedicated instructor. 

To learn more about this news release or our Smartech technology available for the present COVID-19 virus and many other security technologies that we offer, call us at our toll-free number: (800) 866-0162

Credits to GENETEC Newsroom

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When the first N95 masks rolled off the production line this week, there was a brief acknowledgment amongst the team at Honeywell’s Smithfield, Rhode Island facility.

“Everyone was excited and eager to help with this cause,” said Conor Ryan, plant director. “We clapped at the accomplishment, then got back to making them.”

The manufacturing plant typically makes safety glasses and face shields has been configured to also produce the in-demand masks.

The setup usually takes about nine months, but was completed in five weeks to meet the urgent need of frontline workers during the coronavirus outbreak.

The masks will be delivered to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Strategic National Stockpile to support health, safety and emergency response workers.

In addition to the Rhode Island site, N95 manufacturing will start at an aerospace facility in Phoenix, Arizona in mid-May. Once both sites are fully operational, they will produce more than 20 million masks per month. The two new lines will create more than 1,000 jobs in the U.S.

To support the fight against COVID-19, Honeywell is increasing production of other personal protective equipment, including safety eyewear and face shields. They also make sensors used in ventilators and are providing testing services to ventilator manufacturers.

Credits to Honeywell Newsroom

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Organizations can receive free access to Genetec Clearance until December 31, 2020 to facilitate sharing of digital evidence between public safety organizations, businesses, and citizens

Genetec Inc., a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions today announced that it is making its digital evidence management system, Genetec Clearance (Clearance), available free of charge to any organization looking to efficiently share digital evidence, from wherever they are. Genetec Clearance allows organizations to manage and distribute media and files from surveillance systems, body cameras, cellphone footage from bystanders and witnesses, and other sources, while avoiding the need to create or distribute physical copies. 

Public safety agencies, and other organizations are having to quickly adopt new strategies to address the changes to daily operations to allow them to continue to collaborate with different stakeholders in order to fight crime and solve cases faster. They need to implement precautions to ensure the wellbeing of officers, first responders, their staff and the public. To assist organizations to continue to work together effectively when remote, Genetec is making Clearance available at no cost until December 31, 2020. 

Video is a valuable tool to solve crimes, but receiving video often requires officers or other staff to go on-site and collect recordings on USB or disks. With Genetec Clearance, access to case and incident information can be shared with authorized stakeholders at the click of a button, while preserving all user activity to maintain the chain of evidence. There are no file size restrictions in the application, and videos are automatically converted to a browser-friendly format, avoiding the need for recipients to download and install standalone video players.

Organizations who sign up for a new Genetec Clearance trial account will be provided a free, personalized remote on-boarding session to assist with the configuration of the account and walkthrough of the application.

To start using Genetec Clearance today and Receive a free trial until December 31^st, 2020 call us at our toll free number: (800) 866-0162

Credits to Genetec Newsroom

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The access control system that is designed to help organizations find all people who went through a door in close proximity to someone thought to be contagious. It is conceivable that they may have contaminated the door handle or other surfaces or left aerosol contaminants in their passage. This report helps identify all people who are at increased risk of being in contact with contaminants or contagious individuals. This feature will be also useful for customers that handle dangerous substances and is made available to customers.

Developed at the request of McCormick Place in Chicago, North America’s largest convention Center, the reporting function correlates physical proximity of an infected individual with other employees and badged visitors based on the use of the access control system. A report can quickly be generated to correlate access events by time window to identify people who are at increased risk of being in contact with contaminants or contagious individuals. This will allow enterprises to proactively advise individuals of their potential contamination and take the necessary hygienic precautions, as outlined by health and safety procedures and regulations.

“With Synergis, any organization can produce a detailed report that shows exposure metrics for employees and visitors utilizing existing access control data,” said Thibaut Louvet, Product Group Director, Access Control at Genetec.  “It considers that if two people went through the same door in a short period of time, chances are high that they had some level of interaction. This forensic analysis can be extremely beneficial to organizations seeking to use technology they already have to better protect employees, visitors, and the broader community.”

The number one priority is to ensure the health and safety of our guests and staff. In the fight against a contagion that can be spread easily through surfaces or proximity to infected individuals, knowledge is the best defence to stem the spread of these types of viruses. Being able to utilize technology to provide these additional metrics available through this system is a new and critical tool.

“Only about half of Security Center features are a result of Genetec anticipating which technology will be useful for our customers. The other half are as a result of what our customers dream up. They regularly imagine clever and innovative ways to use the system and suggest useful new feature ideas.  The Contagion/Contaminant Proximity Report is a case in point,” said Pierre Racz, President, Genetec Inc. “A clever member of the technical staff at one of our public infrastructure customers requested the Contagion/Contaminant Proximity Report and we were taken by its usefulness and brilliant simplicity – so we fast tracked its development.”

To learn more about Smartech technology available for the present COVID-19 virus and many other security technologies that we offer, call us at our toll-free number: (800) 866-0162

Credits to GENETEC Newsroom

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BRUSSELS — Chinese-style surveillance is coming to a neighborhood near you.

From drones barking orders at park-goers to tracing people’s movements through cellphones, Western governments are rushing to embrace sophisticated surveillance tools that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

In the European Union, home to the world’s strictest privacy regimen, leaders have taken the unprecedented step of asking telecoms companies to hand over mobile phone data so they can track population movements and try to stop the spread.

The European Commission has gone further, asking all such data to be centralized to speed up prevention across the bloc, three people involved in the talks told POLITICO. But epidemiologists argue that such efforts are only a first step: To be fully effective, some say, the EU will have to follow the example of South Korea and China and make infected people download an app that would reveal exactly where they go and whom they meet.

“It would be much more efficient [to stop the spread of the coronavirus] if everyone had the same app,” said Sune Lehmann Jørgensen, a professor at the Technical University of Denmark who is advising the government on how best to track the coronavirus. “But we shouldn’t just institute global surveillance.  [The] 9/11 [attacks] showed us that in times of crisis, we can erode people’s rights.”

While governments seek out more effective tracking tools, companies best known for providing digital surveillance for security forces are proving only too happy to oblige. Some, like the Israeli NSO Group and facial recognition company Clearview AI, have barely emerged from controversies about their practices, while others, like U.S.-based Palantir, are closely linked to the intelligence and defense communities in the United States.

The race to embrace invasive tools underscores a simple dynamic at play during the current global pandemic: Public health concerns are trumping the desire to protect individuals’ privacy online and in the real world, even in the home of the General Data Protection Regulation, Europe’s sweeping privacy rules.

And so far, regulators and the public are largely standing by.

“The acceptance level for tracking is higher,” said Staffan Truvé, chief technology officer of cybersecurity intelligence firm Recorded Future. “Everyone feels at risk. The personal benefit of briefly giving up your privacy feels much bigger than with terrorist attacks.”

Just a few weeks ago, when the pandemic was still a distant fear, privacy advocates latched on to a clip of Chinese police ordering an elderly woman back into her home via drone-mounted loudspeaker as an example of Big Brother tactics gone awry.

Now, drones are deployed in Brussels, the heart of Europe’s institutional capital, to enforce social-distancing rules, and stay-at-home orders are being broadcast through the streets of German cities.

The speed with which such solutions have not just been rolled out, but also been largely accepted by anxious populations is prompting critics to warn of a danger to democracy. In Israel, the government last week approved sweeping new emergency surveillance powers that allow authorities to enforce quarantine orders and warn people about potentially infectious encounters.

Despite the potential for snooping and privacy breaches, the EU has said it would continue to approve the transfer of data about EU citizens to Israel. And some European lawmakers are already calling for similar surveillance powers closer to home.

In France, two conservative senators last week tabled an amendment that would authorize telecoms operators to collect health and location data on all mobile phone users for six months. It was defeated, but telecoms-to-government data transfers are happening on an ad hoc basis.

In Brussels, Thierry Breton, the EU’s Internal Markets Commissioner, has been at the forefront of efforts to get companies to share data. During a conference call with executives from telecoms giants, including Deutsche Telekom and Orange, the Frenchman asked them to hand over so-called metadata, or peripheral information stripped of individual identifiers, on millions of people’s mobile phones.

“The whole idea [in sharing mobile data with governments] is to be ahead of the curve,” said Frederic Pivetta, the founder of Dalberg, a data analytics firm that has been contracted by the Belgian government to use telecom data to map the spread of the coronavirus. “This exercise is meant to flatten the curve, so less people are going to be infected because you know where the infected people are today.”

As governments take similar steps across the EU, they can look to Norway for an example of how it can be implemented.

Telenor, the local carrier, has been sharing aggregated mobile data with scientists for three weeks, according to Arnoldo Frigessi, a statistician at the University of Oslo involved in the project. He said that his team had been able to track a roughly 60 percent drop in people moving between municipalities by tracking smartphone movements.

Credits to POLITICO Newsroom

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