Proposal Standardizes Video Analytics For Loss Prevention

Jun 12, 2007 2:40 PM

In order to boost the effectiveness of retail loss prevention and to improve the in-store customer experience, Cisco submitted a proposal to standardize how computers describe surveillance video for image analysis to the Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), a division of the National Retail Federation. A group of retailers asked Cisco to work with them to develop a consistent way to access video analytic metadata from various vendors.

Video surveillance has traditionally been used in retail for loss prevention. With the aid of computer processing and analysis of video, retailers can further enhance loss prevention efforts and better understand customer behaviors, as well as improve the customer experience.

A large number of video analytic software programs are available that identify specific behaviors and events captured on video, such as people counting, line queueing, packages left behind and people entering specific areas.

As a new technology, many of these programs use proprietary formats that limit interoperatibility and compatibility. The proposed standard for how and in what format video metadata is described by these analytics programs would enable greater interoperability among multiple vendor's products. As a result, a retailer or third party would be able to more easily create and integrate several video analytic products into a customized solution.

Cisco was asked by a team of retailers to create a proposal to provide consistency, interoperability and extensibility for metadata access.

"Application interoperability coupled with the power of IP network infrastructure, which serves as a platform for convergence, are the keys to unlocking the true value of video. A standard method to access video analytic metadata will accelerate innovation in loss prevention and buyer analytic network applications as vendors can more easily and quickly implement new and improved capabilities," says Pete Jankowski, chief technology officer, Physical Security Business Unit (PSBU) at Cisco. "Cisco believes this open standards approach will increase the use of video analytics and deliver greater return on the customer's investment."

At the NRF Loss Prevention Show, Cisco and the retailers behind the proposal invited video analytics providers and other retailers to review the proposal.

"We're pleased that Cisco, and its retail partners have selected ARTS as the standards association to create an open industry standard from the fine foundation they have created," says Richard Mader, executive director of NRF ARTS. "Standardized access to video analytic metadata will provide retailers a better tool to improve loss prevention and general store operations."

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