As today’s security system integrators and users look to add system functionality while also maintaining ease of use, Axis Communications introduces “all-in-one access control and video management” through AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry. This new capability is included at no additional cost within the latest release of AXIS Camera Station video management software.

A part of the validated, end-to-end solution, AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry ensures trouble-free management of a site by providing video-verified access control. In addition to access control management and live video monitoring, the newly enhanced software offers secure access to door control logs and links them to video recordings for easier and more effective incident investigation.

“Network video and access control are powerful security tools in and of themselves. When integrated, they can deliver a solution that’s significantly more effective. Furthermore, seamless integration through the same VMS lets integrators and users benefit from easy installation, deployment and use. That’s the idea behind AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry–it’s a simple and fully integrated end-to-end solution that unifies physical access control and video surveillance in one powerful platform,” said Mitch Mershon, Business Development Manager, End to End Solutions, Axis Communications, Inc. “AXIS Camera Station is an ideal, easy to use solution for education, retail, healthcare and many commercial settings–offering operational efficiencies and an added layer of security. Now, with AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry users can seamlessly pair video with access control data to easily verify who is entering and exiting their building.”

Designed to work with AXIS A1601 Network Door Controller and Axis card readers, this scalable solution can manage up to 128 doors per server and up to 10,000 cardholders with support for multiple credentials. AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry is included in all AXIS Camera Station licenses, and one license is needed for each door controller

With a user-friendly interface, it’s easy to manage cardholders and control who has access to what and when. It provides operators with a complete overview of everything that’s happening.  With one unified interface, an operator can monitor the video and control door access at the same time.  For instance, it’s possible to visually identify visitors, check when a person entered a building, and trigger video alerts and other actions.

AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry key benefits include:

• Part of a validated end-to-end solution
• Easy to specify and design leveraging AXIS Site Designer
• Simple installation and configuration including drag-and-drop capabilities
• One seamless, unified interface for video and door management
• Ease of use and intuitive interface
• Efficient monitoring and verification
• Flexible investigative tools including video redaction
• Remote monitoring with AXIS Secure Remote Access
• Designed with cybersecurity in mind
• First-class Axis support

AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry is a highly secure and reliable solution that offers encrypted communication. Additionally, with AXIS Camera Station customers can benefit from a broad portfolio of network cameras, intercoms, and audio devices– all from one, trusted supplier.

For information about these new integration system, contact our office toll free number 800.866.0162 and request a free business consultation.

Credits to Axis Communications Newsroom

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In addition to software upgrades, premium support, and system monitoring, Genetec Advantage now includes licenses of KiwiVision^TM Privacy Protector^TM and KiwiVision^TM Camera Integrity Monitor for all new and existing Genetec Advantage subscribers*.

To meet the public’s growing expectations of privacy, and to comply with global regulations, the KiwiVision^TM Privacy Protector^TM automatically obscures individuals’ faces caught within a camera’s field of view, so security operators only see what they need to see. Being able to access unobscured footage requires an additional layer of access permissions that is only used when an event warrants an investigation. An audit trail is then maintained that shows who accessed the additional information, and why.

With the addition of KiwiVision^TM Camera Integrity Monitor, customers can make sure that their cameras are operational and efficient at all times.  The Camera Integrity Monitor notifies operators when a camera may have been tampered with, if there is a decrease in quality, or if there are abrupt changes in the position of the camera due to environmental or human causes. This is especially useful in large systems involving hundreds or thousands of cameras where it is nearly impossible to manually check each camera’s image and field of view.

“As physical security systems become increasingly complex, it is critical to know that these systems are up to date, performing as they should, and integrating the latest privacy and performance features,” said Julie Gauthier, Director of Global Operations and Technical Support at Genetec. “Genetec Advantage^TMis the best way to get the most out of your Genetec solution, and ensure your system is at peak performance. By providing licenses* of KiwiVision^TM Privacy Protector^TM and Camera Integrity Monitor we’re adding tools to help our customers maintain the integrity of their system, and protect the privacy of individuals within view of surveillance cameras, without sacrificing security.”

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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Understanding how to efficiently and effectively use space has always been a point of emphasis for retailers. Yet, until this year most customers had probably never given a second thought to how many other people might be in a store with them. The COVID-19 pandemic changed that, with people counting and occupancy estimation taking on additional importance amid the newfound need for social distancing.

Although the pandemic brought this technology to the forefront, the truth is that the usefulness of modern occupancy estimation solutions extends far beyond the current crisis. And while businesses are deploying the technology to meet the needs of the moment, many are smartly keeping one eye on the future.

We recently spoke with Robert K. Brown, a solutions architect with Axis Communications Inc., about how occupancy estimation is being deployed amid the COVID-19 crisis and why he expects businesses to embrace the technology for other uses even when the pandemic officially comes to an end.

The right technology at the right time

Given the technology’s growing importance, Brown immediately notes that it’s important to understand the difference between people counting and occupancy estimation. Although the technologies sound similar, there are several key differences that impact how they’re deployed.

“People counting is exactly what it sounds like,” Brown explains. “It counts people coming in and out of an entrance. The occupancy estimator is a layer on top of that, which allows the user to pull counts from multiple entrances and calculate how many people are in that location. It still uses people counting to do that work, but without the occupancy estimator, there is no ability to associate entrances and understand the totality of what is going on at that location.”

Take, for example, AXIS Occupancy Estimator. Brown explains that not only can this application integrate counts from multiple entrances, it can also set a threshold, also known as an occupancy limit, and trigger an alert if that limit is reached. He stresses the importance of this capability, especially as businesses continue to adapt their operations to meet state and local COVID-19 restrictions.

“Many stores right now have staff at the door doing nothing other than counting people as they enter,” says Brown. “They have to hire somebody to do that. With people counting and occupancy estimation, that data is automatically fed into a single dashboard, which enables more efficient use of staff and becomes more immediate and more actionable in a COVID-19 world.”

Network technology usage beyond the pandemic

Technologies like occupancy estimation, access control, and low-touch entry have had obvious utility amid the pandemic, but Brown is quick to point out that the uses of occupancy estimation go far beyond helping to enforce social distancing. It’s a technology that has long-term value even when things return to normal and stores are bustling without capacity limits.

“It gives you better all-around insight into your business,” he explains. “You might get more insight into sales—or lack thereof—based on how many people are in your location at any given time. You can look at that to help determine staffing models, you can associate point-of-sale numbers with any sales that may be going on, with people coming into your stores, with marketing, etc. This technology can give you a better idea of how many people actually come into your stores, and whether or not those get converted into sales.”

Brown further explains that AXIS Occupancy Estimator can pull data from a wide range of sources into a single dashboard, making it easier to integrate data from different sensors and databases to provide users with actionable insights. Better still, that data can be further analyzed to provide improved outcomes across multiple areas of the business.

“Dwindling foot traffic is a problem that brick-and-mortar stores have been dealing with for decades now,” Brown notes. “But if you want to improve something, you can start by measuring it.

“You can build trends, you can do historical analysis, and you can compare multiple locations to see similarities or differences,” says Brown. “It can help you make better informed decisions. You have a home-grown dashboard of data, bringing in point-of-sale or marketing campaigns, or HR data—even staffing models—and all of those are consistent. It’s meant to be open-ended and flexible. Depending on the problem, you can bring in different sources of data to analyze.”

Practical applications, real-world results

One of the benefits of being able to integrate data from such disparate sources is the ability to identify hidden information when that data is combined. One Axis customer in the restaurant industry found that integrating data from the AXIS Occupancy Estimator with surveillance video and point-of-sale numbers yielded an important discovery that no single source would have revealed.

“We looked at when they had their highest sales volume days and compared those with occupancy numbers and video footage of the restaurant,” describes Brown. “We found that even though their sales numbers were good and the occupancy was pretty high, you could see a lot of peaks where there were simply not enough places to sit, and they were turning customers away because they didn’t have the capacity. It was an interesting way to compare surveillance footage, point-of-sale, and occupancy data to tell a better story. They learned they could improve both their sales numbers and their customer experience just by expanding their capacity.”

Brown goes on to explain that part of what makes this data so valuable is the added context that it provides. As businesses look for new ways to draw customers back to physical locations, understanding what drives customers away can be just as important as understanding what draws them in.

“Dwindling foot traffic is a problem that brick-and-mortar stores have been dealing with for decades now,” Brown notes. “But if you want to improve something, you can start by measuring it. Now you can see, when people enter your store, where are they going? Are they leaving because the line was too long, or there wasn’t an employee available to help them? This is data that sales numbers and people counting alone can’t give you, and a lot of businesses are missing out of potentially crucial information.”

Future-Proofing Business Operations

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that adaptability is critical, and open and flexible solutions are becoming increasingly important as businesses look to prepare for whatever might come next.

“We can’t predict the future, so how do we know this is future-proof? We don’t. But the point is, we were able to adapt the technology to fit the needs of this past year. That’s why we use open technologies, open APIs, open integration with other systems. It lets us be adaptable, and two or three years from now when something else happens that we can’t predict, we’ll be able to face those challenges, too.”

Whatever those challenges may be, the ability to effectively analyze and compare occupancy data will be essential for businesses as they work to adapt. Axis’s commitment to open-platform technology has allowed tools like the AXIS Occupancy Estimator to grow and evolve as circumstances demand, putting customers in the best possible position for success both now and into the future

For information about these retail technology, contact our office toll free number 800.866.0162 and request a free business consultation.

Credits to Axis Communications Newsroom

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Qognify today announced that it has received LenelS2 factory certification and joined the LenelS2 OpenAccess Alliance Program (OAAP). All of Qognify’s products (Situator, VisionHub, Cayuga, Ocularis and NiceVision) now interface with the OnGuard® access control system enabling customers to evaluate situations based on a synopsis of event and video data, allowing a faster and more targeted response to critical incidents. The newly certified interface allows Qognify software to receive and display events from the OnGuard platform, for instance “access granted” or “door opened”. In return, live and archive videos from cameras operated with one of Qognify’s Video Management Systems (VMS) or its Enterprise Incident Management System Situator can be displayed in the OnGuard system.

Credits to Qognify Communications Newsroom

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Innovative security solutions will help businesses thrive post pandemic
While the world remains optimistic for 2021, organizations will need to remain creative about how they use, update, and redeploy their security systems across their facilities. This will allow them to start thinking more broadly about the role of physical security and what it can do beyond traditional applications to deliver more value. We have already seen proof of this resilience and resourcefulness over the last few months with many organizations quickly adapting to the new needs and challenges posed by COVID-19, using their physical security technology as a strategic tool in the fight against the pandemic. In many ways, the extraordinary difficulties brought on by the current situation have put an increased focus on the role and importance of the physical security industry. And once the pandemic is finally in the rear-view mirror, we believe organizations will continue to look at their physical security technology and related data as both strategic and enterprise-shaping.

Businesses will focus on privacy protection
In an effort to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations rushed to implement ‘fever detection’ devices and other new sensors without necessarily having the time to consider privacy implications. Public privacy concerns related to COVID-19 contact tracing and other social challenges will continue to grow. These sensitivities will require the physical security industry to address privacy head-on and find appropriate solutions. Rather than hindering the development of new technologies, privacy will prove to be a driving force in the pursuit of responsible and innovative design, encouraging forward-thinking, ethical developers to embrace Privacy by Design methodologies. This involves proactively embedding privacy into the design and operation of IT systems, networked infrastructure, and business practices from the first line of code to the third-party vendors selected for partnership and integration. And, in the physical security industry, building a software solution from the ground up with privacy in mind means that organizations won’t have to choose between protecting individual privacy and ensuring their physical security. Privacy should always be the default option rather than the other way round, and security technology developers who take it seriously will gain distinct advantages, notably their customers’ trust.

Cybersecurity risks will continue to rise
While cybersecurity has been an issue for some time, it will unfortunately continue to be a vital concern in 2021. From schools and hospitals to private businesses and governments, there’s been a rise in cyber-attacks over the last year. In Q3 of 2020 alone, Trend Micro reported that there were almost 4 million email threats and over 1 million hits on malicious URLs related to COVID-19. 

Much of this can be linked to the overnight shift to remote work, which left companies scrambling to keep business running while also trying to secure corporate assets. This shift highlighted the fact that the traditional IT perimeter no longer exists. Businesses, organizations, and governments will need to take decisive steps to strengthen their cyber posture, or risk undermining the safety of their intellectual property, sensitive data, and personal information. Choosing trusted vendors and deploying physical security solutions that come with layers of cyber defense is critical. Security teams understand that built-in encryption, multi-factor authentication, and password management are the first lines of defense. Beyond that, taking advantage of other features such as cybersecurity risk scoring, system vulnerability alerts, and automated reminders for firmware and hardware updates are significant advantages in this heightened risk environment. 

Greater focus on trust in the supply chain
Physical security technology has become an integral part of an organization’s IT strategy and is, thankfully, now under the same level of scrutiny as other elements of an organization’s technology stack. Some governments are already discouraging the use of certain products from security manufacturers, citing trust and security vulnerabilities. End users, especially in the enterprise space, are taking more time to scrutinize the manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors with whom they choose to work. This includes asking vendors more pointed questions about how they manage emerging threats, how forthcoming they are about product vulnerabilities and their partner ecosystem, and what their data and privacy policies are. For a physical security solution provider to be considered a reputable, reliable partner to their customers, they are going to have to meet more stringent requirements as part of the procurement process. 

Demand for hybrid cloud solutions will continue to grow
According to Forrester’s recent report, Predictions 2021: Cloud Computing Powers Pandemic Recovery, global public cloud infrastructure will grow 35% to a market value of $120 billion over the next year. As online usage and remote work spiked during the pandemic, a global shift towards digital transformation, already underway, greatly accelerated. 

In order to thrive, physical security professionals will need to follow the lead of IT departments. In the coming year, physical security leaders should let go of the either/or division between cloud and on-premises security systems and embrace a hybrid deployment model in their physical security infrastructure. This will allow them to implement specific systems or applications in the cloud while keeping existing on-premises systems. 

With a hybrid cloud approach, security directors will become more agile in making decisions about how they can enhance scalability, redundancy, and availability to suit their organization’s evolving needs. They will also be able to quickly migrate to newer technologies, minimize hardware footprint, boost cybersecurity, and reduce costs. Cloud offerings need to become an essential option to quickly adapt to changes and ensure business continuity.

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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Notwithstanding the limitations imposed by COVID, following all imposed guidelines and making full use of a remote work-share platform, we are proud to have begun our new relationship, seamlessly delivering two stores in time for the Holidays, for a renowned, high-end global retailer in Mexico, within weeks from one another, with the client’s complete satisfaction.

With 15 years of experience in the US and over 30 years in Latin America, Smartech Security is an ideal partner for end-users and for Security Integrators looking for a gateway to the Latin American Security Market. We are intimately familiar with the needs, costumes and requirements on both sides of the border, we speak both languages, are highly technical and our prices are very competitive.

With local direct employees and an established, distributed network of trusted LSP’s we are able to deliver projects throughout the US, Canada and LATAM.

Contact us for more information about our Security Solutions and our Latin America business partnerships scope!

The post Smartech Security, Corp. Establishes LATAM Strategic Partnership With Safety Management, Inc. appeared first on Smartech Security.

If you wear glasses, there’s a really good chance you developed a new habit in 2020 — exasperatedly ripping them off to wipe them clear while wearing a mask. After face masks became mostly mandatory in public spaces last spring, people have invented a few clever ways to stop glasses from fogging up due to breath condensation. It’s easy for warm breath to escape through the top of a mask, percolating around the lenses of glasses just an inch or two away on your face; it results in condensation, or fog, and can be quite annoying if it happens consistently throughout the day.

There are a few ways that people have been dealing with foggy glasses, one of which rocketed to fame via sites like YouTube — applying shaving cream, among others. The trend may have started after someone stumbled upon a 2011 white paper out of the United Kingdom that found washing glasses with soapy water (without rinsing or drying clean!) helped to prevent moist lenses afterward. The chemicals in soap — and shaving cream or even toothpaste — may work as a surface agent (or surfactant), or a thin shield between condensation and your lenses. The treatment, along with bringing masks out with you in public safely (in a carrying case, for example!), might help keep condensation off your glasses.

But this solution doesn’t last forever, and nearly all of the YouTubers and Reddit userswho swear by it admit they’ve been having to reapply these treatments routinely. Short of switching to contact lenses altogether, a long-term solution might be found if you take a second look at the kind of face mask you are wearing. 

Which kind of face masks are best for those who wear glasses?

As we continue to wear face masks into the winter season, the issue of foggy glasses has never been more apparent; cold weather only makes the issue worse. Selecting a face mask to help fix your foggy glasses is easier if you know what to look for. Try looking for these qualities in the next face mask you purchase: 

1. A nose bridge or clamp: Is the mask equipped with a bendable metal strip for the bridge of your nose? Does this strip extend towards the top of your cheeks? Many masks designed during the COVID-19 pandemic make use of this feature, as it may redirect the motion of your exhaled breath.
2. Adjustable ear straps or ties: If your mask is loose-fitting, it makes sense why your breath would escape out and up onto your face. A form-fitting mask should direct your breath through your mask, not up and out.
3. A straight fold straight across your cheeks and nose: Some masks have been designed to dip beneath your cheekbones to form a clear nose covering. If you’re wearing glasses, though, that means there’s nothing between the bottom of your lenses and the top of your mask — making it quite likely that breath will escape over your cheeks and directly onto your lenses. If possible, you always want the rims of your glasses to be sitting on top of the masks’ upper region, as this weight blocks the flow of air.
4. Enough room to cover your chin: Constantly pulling your mask down to sit beneath your chin? There’s a good chance your mask isn’t covering enough of your face and nose to ensure hot breath doesn’t escape up and out.
5. The right kind of fabric: Moisture-wicking performance materials or the lightest of cotton and silk is important for those with glasses, as you don’t want to be stuck with a damp mask that can’t hold up to hot breath.

With the help of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textile Director Lexie Sachs, we’re spotlighting some of the best masks for those who wear glasses. These options stay tight across your nose, mouth, chin, and cheeks, and will be sure to keep your glasses as clear as possible.

Some masks are better designed to prevent hot breath from ending up on your lenses.

To check them out go to the Good Housekeeping blog type of masks!

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ARES Security Corporation was pleased to announce that it has acquired certain assets and contracts of Vidsys, Inc. Based in Vienna, VA, Vidsys, now an ARES Security company, provides mission critical Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software to Government Agencies, Corporate Enterprises, Transportation Agencies and other Iconic Properties in North America, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. “The acquisition of Vidsys provides a launchpad for ARES Security to develop the next generation of PSIM that Security Operations Centers (SOCs) need – an intelligent, responsive, enterprise level system that is seamlessly integrated into the physical security lifecycle of assessment, design, training and real-time operations.” said Ben Eazzetta, CEO of ARES Security.

“There is strong, ongoing demand in the security market for PSIM technology to fill a real-time, incident response capability gap in the SOC that Video and Incident Management Systems have failed to address. We look forward to continue supporting the loyal customer base that rely on the current portfolio of PSIM technology with a dedicated, talented staff that has been solving these challenging problems in the SOC for years” said Paul Mueller, Vice President of Corporate and Critical Infrastructure at ARES Security who will serve as President of the new subsidiary. “We envision a technology roadmap that will offer customers a migration route to the next generation of PSIM that will combine current Vidsys capabilities with ARES Security’s industry leading, AVERT family of software products.”

Ben Eazzetta elaborated that “ARES Security develops transformative security software products that our clients use to increase security effectiveness and reduce cost through return on investment at every stage of the physical security lifecycle. Vidsys products are very complementary to the deep AVERT technology stack that includes AI and machine learning powered rules engines, dynamic pathfinding/tasking for robotic sentries and response systems, site/facility digital twins and modeling/simulation powered assessment, design and training systems.”

Credits to Genetec Newsroom

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Axis Communications, the market leader in network video, today announced that Latin America will join the US and Canada by integrating 2N into its operations as of January 1, 2021. In 2016, Axis acquired 2N, the global market leader in IP-intercom and this latest expansion will help grow 2N’s leading position in the intercom market throughout the Americas. Additionally, aligning with 2N will help Axis accelerate growth in the quickly converging IP-Intercom market.

Axis Communications, Inc. operations in Latin America, including Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, will be staffed with expertise in 2N solutions and offer the full portfolio of 2N products through Axis’ standard distribution and system integration channels. What’s more, all 2N solutions will be supported throughout Latin America by Axis’ award-winning technical services group.

“We’re excited to further align our operations in the Americas as we extend our 2N integration into Latin America–creating an opportunity to provide our partners and end-customers with best-in-class IP intercom and a broader solution offering. The introduction of the 2N product line into the LATAM region presents great potential in a market poised for future growth,” said Fredrik Nilsson, Vice President, Americas, Axis Communications, Inc.

“We strongly believe in integration, as it will further expand 2N’s market-leading position in the intercom market throughout the Americas. We accomplished a very successful integration with Axis Communications in the US and Canada previously, and we expect a similarly smooth transition across LATAM. This will create more exposure for 2N products and our total solution offering within Axis’ existing partner base across the whole region,” said Tomáš Klíma, Chief Sales Officer, 2N.

“2N products are known for their high quality and innovation, features that have established 2N as the global leader in intercom. The Axis Latin American organization is proud to now offer these solutions, expand our product offering and seamlessly integrate them into our operations. Innovative 2N solutions will create new opportunities for our partners and provide new solutions to our end-users,” said Leopoldo Ruiz, LATAM Regional Director, Axis Communications, Inc.

The complete 2N solutions offering will be available via standard Axis distribution and integration channels as of January 1, 2021. Additionally, Axis Communications will launch a dedicated Latin America online support hub in 2021 which will include design, installation and management tools; product guides and manuals; trainings, webinars and self-help videos; FAQs and product catalogs.

Credits to Axis Communications Newsroom

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The current health crisis has truly tested the grit of businesses as they’ve worked to adjust to guidance and regulations set forth by governments and local health experts. It certainly hasn’t been easy, and the road ahead appears bumpy as COVID-19 cases across the US spike as flu season also gets underway.

For businesses, the past several months has put a spotlight on how they’ve been able to adapt to sometimes daily or weekly changes. How are they managing? Do they have the right resources to do so?

That’s where network technology based on sight, sound, and analytics can step in and help. Axis network surveillance solutions are designed to increase security and maximize business performance and operational efficiency. And they can offer improved safety, which is especially important during a health crisis.

Solutions range from low touch access control for buildings, public address systems for voice messages and reminders, remote communication to keep physical distancing, and occupancy management to monitor and control the flow of people. These also include live streaming and broadcasting to keep operations running and remote services to help manage sites from a distance.

Low touch access control

Low touch access control makes it easier to comply with increased hygiene requirements and social distancing. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital is a 131-bed community hospital located in the challenging socio-economic Willowbrook Community in southern Los Angeles. Many of its patients suffer from mental health issues, substance abuse, or the physical toll of being homeless. Adding a pandemic only puts more strain on their resources, and thus can place the health and security of patients, personnel, and visitors in jeopardy.

The hospital had recently upgraded its security command center and integrated the Axis cameras already in use with a new video management system from Genetec. The first thing the hospital completed was a vulnerability assessment to ensure it had in place the right tools and resources to handle any situation brought on by the pandemic. One way it did so was moving toward a low touch access control solution to mitigate the spread of infection. It also locked down all of its card readers to direct people to a single entrance where they would be screened before entering.

No matter the facility, a system for low touch access control makes it easier to comply with physical distancing and increased hygiene requirements. Take, for example, AXIS Visitor Access. There’s no need to physically open doors to trusted visitors or even buzz them in. Instead of an access card, visitors receive a QR code directly on their phones, which they can use to enter the building. Facilities can grant them access at specific times, and if someone’s schedule is changed or canceled, it’s possible to revoke or adjust their access. This ensures facilities are always in complete control of who is entering and leaving the building.

Public address systems

Axis network audio systems are perfect for schools, retail stores, hotels, public buildings, and city environments. They allow users to manage messages and updates, including event-triggered announcements, live voice overs if a situation needs to be responded to immediately, or schedule regular reminders.

For example, a business could use a pa system coupled with analytics, such as license plate recognition software or QR codes to offer a curbside pickup solution. A school could use an intercom system to broadcast announcements in regular intervals between classes or at the beginning, middle, and end of day on ways to reduce the spread of infection. (This type of solution could also be installed in any type of environment.) A pa system could be used as part of a broader access control solution to tell people that an entrance is now an exit and direct them to a different entry point. Or when coupled with AXIS Occupancy Estimator and Axis network cameras, it can be used to automatically inform people that maximum capacity has been reached. This could be a great way to reduce strain on personnel while ensuring areas remain in compliance with social distancing guidelines.

Remote communication

To ensure physical distancing guidelines are met, it’s possible to use Axis technology to remotely communicate with and get a visual status on people. This is useful in situations when facilities are understaffed for any period of time. Similar to what we mentioned before, Axis network door stations allow users to remotely speak with visitors face-to-face. Door stations can be used as information points or as emergency phones within a larger area like a city, park, or school or as a flexible alternative to traditional front desk receptions.

They can also allow hospital staff to communicate with patients without directly entering the room. For example, Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida has long been a proponent of using technology to improve patient care. In conjunction with their Tactical Logistics Center, Axis network cameras and technology allow them to better detect small changes in a patient’s vital signs and respond quickly. They can even communicate with patients without entering the room. This type of response can be also helpful in mitigating the spread of infection and reducing the amount of personal protection equipment that’s used, which has often been in short supply around the country. Have a look at Axis’ cooperation with the Nemours Children’s Hospital to see how it works.

Occupancy estimation

Facilities—from retail shops and office buildings to stadiums—have all had to adjust to rules around the amount of people who can be in a given area at once. Manually counting or analyzing how visitors move is impossible. But with network technology and analytics, such as AXIS People Counter and AXIS Occupancy Estimator, it is possible to quickly count visitors and take action once a maximum user-defined occupancy threshold has been met. For example, when coupled with network cameras, the application will present real-time data on the number of people on a monitor. It could then trigger any number of alerts, such as a simple message, a specific audio clip over the IP audio system, or even a red light at the entrance to stop people from entering.

Live streaming and broadcasting

Live streaming and broadcasting is a practical solution to social distancing. Axis network cameras can be used to share and broadcast information from classrooms, auditoriums, and places of worship, for example, allowing users to more easily adhere to requirements for physical distancing. This can also minimize unnecessary travel, making it an environmentally sustainable option.

Remote services

Remote services make it easier to follow physical distancing restrictions and avoid unnecessary visits to a site, using remote connection, planning and device management. Design a surveillance system, connect to remote cameras, upgrade firmware or renew certificates, and manage all devices from any location.

AXIS Device Manager is a highly effective on-premise tool that promotes physical distancing byallowingremote monitoring of all devices. Security installers and system administrators can manage all major installation, security and maintenance tasks remotely. It’s compatible with most Axis network cameras, access control and audio devices, and allows for management of multiple sites from one central location, including updates of product firmware and certificate management and renewal.

The Axis Secure Remote Access is a service that significantly simplifies the installation of remote access to surveillance systems. It’s a technology that makes it possible for a smartphone or PC client to access Axis network cameras when the client and the cameras are located on different local networks. Connecting to remote cameras can be a challenge, especially when the cameras are located behind routers or firewalls. Once enabled it’s automatically configured and removes the need of manual port-forwarding and router configuration.

Credits to Axis Communications Newsroom

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