Webinar Hosts Panel of Video Analytics Experts

May 22, 2007 3:22 PM

           

"It's not just for military or government anymore, it's a usable business tool."

The topic was video analytics, and with that comment, moderator Larry Anderson, editor of Access Control & Security Systems magazine, launched a webinar to provide helpful information to users of the technology.

Access Control & Security Systems magazine teamed up with Verint Systems, a supplier of networked video solutions, to present a webinar to video analytics enthusiasts and end-users on May 15. With a panel of four speakers, the webinar addressed topics ranging from analytics' market view, to trends, adoption and education, to an integrator's view and solutions for today. The session is still available on demand at securitysolutions.com

The panel included Larry Anderson, editor of Access Control & Security Systems; Mariann McDonagh, vice president of global marketing for Verint Systems; Mark Moscinski, vice president of SD-I and Chris Taylor; national accounts director for Verint Systems.

The presentation starts off with Anderson explaining that video analytics is beyond the point of experimentation, and that with its cost going down, it has the potential to transform how security is managed in corporations. One of the major benefits, Anderson says, is the need for less security personnel. This technology allows a better use of a person's time and a company's money.

He also mentions the challenge of educating the market and the fact that since this may be a new idea for people, it might be hard to get end-users and technicians knowledgeable enough to employ video analytics into everyday use. "We have to get the word out to users that this is a usable product," Anderson says.

Mariann McDonagh spoke of the goals of video analytics and its role in making sense of the large amount of captured video. It is about getting the right information out to the right people. "Video analytics is in an early stage in market penetration. It's not dramatically adopted across most markets," McDonagh says.

She also talks of the characteristics of the technology and how end-users can learn to understand them. With all of the areas of business that could use video analytics, including banking, gaming and retail, McDonagh says it's all about the market accepting the technology and being willing to use it.

Though McDonagh says the market might not be accepting yet, Mark Moscinski explains that end-users want the technology. "I think users are at a point where they are ready to adopt this evolution," he says.

He explains how video analytics can provide great situational awareness, by pulling up a video and having it at your fingertips. But he says that it's all about domain awareness, and how one company with only four or five security employees surveying video can control up to 1,000 cameras and their footage.

End-users expectations come into the mix when Moscinski gives two extreme ends of video analytics. "Some people think it involves a lot of exciting 'CSI' thinking. But there is also a low point where they see failed deliveries of demos going wrong. We have to find middle ground."

One of the issues he covers is high price. He explains that to bring solutions to an analog environment, such as just a few cameras per server, there will be costs that will drive people away. But he offers a perspective. "You have to look at benefits from security and operational aspects and weigh them against cost."

Another aspect of video analytics is that it brings a convergence of security and IT, especially in the area of service and support. Moscinski suggests workers should be trained in both areas equally to give the best results.

Finally, Chris Taylor concludes the panel presentation with mentioning the key benefits and the key challenges of implementing video analytics into today's business environment.

Among the key benefits, he says video analytics gives the ability to monitor large amount of video -- and that it's not manual anymore. "There's not a guard watching TV screens in a room. It's become impossible for someone to watch thousands of videos," Taylor says.

One of the key challenges he mentions is that video analytics must produce quality video. Plus, video analytics has increased demands on IT resources, and there's still a balance of probability of detection vs. false alarm rate. He discusses false alarm rate. "The issue is, 'Am I able to discriminate a specific event effectively and reliably and ignore other things that look like what I am looking for?'"

Finally, he says that he thinks proper preparation is key. "It's essential to have someone who understands all capabilities of video analytics. They need to discuss with end-users what they want from their system."

After the panel speaks, Anderson offers up a Q&A session for webinar participants to ask questions for the panel. Anderson brings the last question himself and asks the panelists to look into their crystal balls about the future of video analytics. Responses were positive, including McDonagh who says, "Video analytics will be mainstream and the norm. We will have more proactive solutions than those in place today."

The hour-long presentation is available on Access Control & Security Systems' Web site, securitysolutions.com. Viewers may access it with Mozilla Firefox and RealPlayer.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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