15 December 2014

On December 7th leaders in the surveillance industry gathered at The Address Downtown, Dubai, for Teleste’s exclusive Video Surveillance Summit. Supported by partners CNL Software, Ipsotek, IT-Serve, Arecont Vision, Arrow Labs and Wavesight, the one-day event featured a range of presentations and discussions, including a keynote address from Ben Selier, Sales and Technical Director at 4Trust. Teleste, whose shares are listed in the Helsinki stock exchange, celebrated its 60th anniversary in January 2014, and over the last six decades the company has become a truly global market leader in the surveillance industry, with offices in 20 countries and a presence in over 30, while remaining true to its Finnish roots. Not only does Teleste provide a range of reliable and scalable IP video management systems and software, the company has demonstrated its capability of engineering and works closely with a range of third parties, including other industry leaders, public sector organisations and government entities throughout the years to provide segment specific end-to-end solutions. Teleste focuses on large multi-site and multi-user networked systems and it can boast a list of references that are world class. Having a finger firmly on the pulse of the surveillance industry meant that Teleste was able to outline key megatrends that are going to affect the way video surveillance advances, including: • Strong development of video and secure data transmission technologies • Increasing volume of video and data traffic • Growing need to ensure the safety of people • The increased needs of vertical segment specific solutions It’s this view of the future of the industry, and Teleste’s own customer centric, results driven attitude, that drove the company to bring so many industry leaders together and to generate a discussion on how the industry needs to evolve for modern, urban environments. Speaking about the event, Soren Kannov from Teleste said “ I’m very happy about the diversity of attendees, which include everyone from police chiefs, to system integrators, to Minister of Interior officials – all sizes and segments are represented. What we get out of this event is the fact that we have selected a number of partners and we are showing as a family that we can solve any problem. Teleste is driving this. We’ve been called the best kept secret in the surveillance industry – I’m sure after this event we are no longer a secret in the Middle East.” Ben Selier delivered a well-round talk entitled ‘The Importance of electronic security in the Modern City’. 4Trust provides both Turn-Key and Powered Base Building options, meaning we have the resources and experience to give you what you need. 4Trust focuses on technology areas that it believes have the power to propel the industry forward and improve the way we live and work. 4Trust data centre solution represents a comprehensive suite of products combined with a unique leasing program and domestic and international property portfolio. In his presentation, Selier stated that traditionally, the concept of security has been linked to the challenge of defending the state and the whole of its territory through the use of military instruments, saying, “Security depended, above all, on the state’s capacity to maintain, increase and use military power”. Selier explained that following the end of the Cold War, the dimensions of the analysis of security (economic, social, cultural, environmental security and cybersecurity, etc.) were multiplied. He told the audience that an alternative point of view should not simply be based on these security dimensions or “sectors”, but rather should also focus on their geographical analysis. In other words, it is necessary to examine urban security, as well as national and international security. Of note were Selier’s thoughts on the militarisation of urban spaces. “Technological progress in the military sector has changed the patterns of war, mainly at the tactical and operational level,” he said. “What has remained as a characterising factor, however, is the role that cities play in armed conflicts – being both the theatre and the target of war in all their forms. In addition, according to many experts, we are witnessing the militarisation of urban spaces, even under circumstances that have very little to do with war. In other words, cities are affected by demonstrations of political violence of all types – from ‘traditional’ conflicts motivated by economic resources, battles to take control of political power, terrorism, insurgent activity, through to other conflicts that could be classed as civil or civic, public demonstrations and state reactions to them. The militarisation of cities has also been evident in the security measures adopted for certain recent sporting events, like the controversial 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, and Rio de Janeiro 2012.” He added that the enormous complexity of cities today means that the demands on their infrastructure are relentlessly challenging. To cope with these challenges, many cities are adopting an integrated approach to their urban planning. Rather than planning for the separate provision of transport and housing, for example, a more holistic view is being adopted that seeks to measure the combined impacts of different types of development. Speaking to us about this event, he said, “For us it was great to speak here to put our needs as an integrator forward and actually see them being answered.” Looking at the role of megapixel technology for urban surveillance was Sanjit Bardhan, Arecont Vision’s Director for the Middle East, Africa and India. Bardhan outlined the most important requirements in Urban Surveillance as being: • Identification of license plates • Identification of driver face/details • Dwell time • Incorrect driving behavior • Usage of high-end analytics to determine the above and more Looking at each of these requirements, Arecont Vision’s Director explained the importance of pixel density and a good quality camera – demonstrating how the company’s cameras are tailored to provide high quality images for urban surveillance. Bardhan said, “This event has been a fantastic platform for multiple technologies and partners together. The topic being urban surveillance, some of the solutions that were spoken about were extremely