City Council, Combining Security Into One Solution

A City Council obtained a future proof surveillance solution which offered protection for staff, overall management of facilities and long term cost savings.

THE CHALLENGE

A City Council in the UK wanted to implement a comprehensive and future proof surveillance and security system to ensure that their award winning development, which houses over 2,000 members of staff, would have a seamless integrated security solution. A solution that could provide more than just video and intruder alerts. They were looking to monitor the daily flow of people through their facilities and provide proactive incident response to vulnerable areas. They also wanted to protect property, staff and assets as well as ensuring efficient overall management of the facilities.

THE SOLUTION

Mirasys Enterprise was installed together with over 50 cameras, including Vista HD, Panasonic and analogue. Mirasys Enterprise supports up to 6,400 cameras both IP and analogue. Features such as video recording, live viewing and instant playback, together with advanced search tools provide immediate information to meet their security needs. However to meet the Council’s objectives, plug ins were added such as counting, reporting and object detection.

THE BENEFITS

The system design provided a future proof solution to ensure long-term cost savings could be realized. By integrating Access Control, Intruder Detection, People Counting, Panic Alarms, Audio Monitoring and Video Analytics the overall operation control could be achieved through the surveillance solution. A fully functional multi-screen control room along with controlled access to all interested parties within and outside the building ensured that everyone’s security and operational requirements could be met. The intuitive and easy to use interface helped to reduce the installation time and allowed the staff to be operative with minimum training. The People Counting add-on gave them information about the building usage. This meant adjustments could be made to air conditioning and lighting systems. This helped them make decisions in terms of staffing levels or customer services improvements. Footage and images can be accessed remotely through iPads and   iPhones and information on suspicious ‘alarms’ can be sent via e-mail. Tailored viewing information and access rights for different users can be also created. It means that everyone has access to the information they require and when they need it and the overall security of the site is guaranteed also out of working hours.

Hybrid System Success in Stadium Venue

“The new hybrid video system gives our ground safety team, working in concert with Lancashire Constabulary, the ability to extract wrongdoers from the crowd before they endanger other football fans or commit public order offences.

The Police have already been able to secure several convictions based on positive identification of individuals committing acts that placed others in danger.

Thankfully these occurrences are rare and the deterrent effect of the new system will make them rarer still here at Turf Moor.”

Mr. Doug Metcalfe, Stadium & Operations Manager of Burnley Football Club

Mirasys VMS Hotel Deployment

“THE FRAMEWORK AND THE CUSTOMERS OF THE HOTEL VARY – IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM CAN ADAPT TO THE CHANGING REQUIREMENTS. WE HERE AT HOTEL ESTREL ARE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE VERSATILITY OF MIRASYS.”

Different, complicated systems that were impossible to manage centrally were the biggest reason why the Hotel Estrel in Berlin decided to renew its system. The versatile, yet easy-to-use VMS solution convinced Mario Gärtner, the hotel’s IT manager. The centralized remote surveillance and the use of portable devices enhance the operations of the hotel’s security team. “The hotel guests are now safer than ever”.

In addition to a hotel with a 4+ rating, Hotel Estrel Berlin includes a conference centre that offers magnificent and large facilities with dozens of rooms for different events. Hotel Estrel is the largest privately owned hotel in Berlin. Now it also has an optimized security system. ”Not only did we manage to find a way to keep the property safe – now also the organizing of events goes smoothly and securely.”

Mirasys in Harbors & Airports

TALLINN SMART PORT’S SECURITY AND LOGISTIC SYSTEMS IN THE SAME SOLUTION

The Port of Tallinn wanted more efficiency and automation for their processes. The throughput of vehicles had to be fast and automated. The customer wanted to increase efficiency also by the automatic damage checking when entering and leaving the cargo parking area.

In addition to the Port of Tallinn, shipping companies and other third parties should have access to the system, and if needed data could be forwarded to them.

The intelligent Mirasys Video Management System at the Port of Tallinn is a true IoT solution where data is collected and combined from different systems in real-time for automatic decision making. The data is available for use in different organizations according to the pre-made definitions.

With the overall solution, Tallinn Smart Port’s processes are streamlined and automated, and customer service is improved, for example, by shortening lead times. One system serves the different uses of different companies. From an ecological point of view, as the waiting time for the loading of vehicles is shortened, the idling time of vehicles has also been shortened. Even a few minutes shortening in the waiting times of thousands of vehicles per day brings significant environmental benefits on an annual basis.

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Mirasys in Public Railway System

WHEN ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST RAILWAY NETWORKS UPDATES ITS SECURITY SYSTEM, THE PRIMARY REQUIREMENT IS ABSOLUTE RELIABILITY.

The biggest concern for Indian Railways is platform security. The goal was to make it easier to tighten supervision and manage the crowds. The introduction of centralized management and the identification of people and events was also important. 30 million people use the railways on a daily basis and there are over 8000 stations, which means that security is the most important thing. In addition to the VMS, there was a requirement to include an extensive selection of video analytics tools in the integrated security and surveillance system.

Tata Nelco is the local partner of Mirasys in India. “Already in our previous railway projects, Mirasys has shown the ability to support the customer and customise solutions according to requirements. That is why we wanted to continue to work with Mirasys in large-scale command and control solutions.”

From the point of view of the Indian railway police, one of the greatest benefits of Mirasys is its ease of use. In addition, the intelligent video analytics have proven to be a useful tool for the railway authorities.

Smyths Toys Superstores & Mirasys

Smyths Toys Superstores, the largest toy retailer in Ireland, was facing a challenge. They needed an easy-to-use video surveillance system in their stores that could offer better performance and image quality. The problem was that the old system could no longer meet the needs of the stores. The old system could not store data from a sufficient number of days, and the centralised monitoring of different stores was also not possible.

The Mirasys system met the security needs of Smyths Toys Superstores together with its camera partner Axis. According to the Facilities Manager for Smyths Toys Superstores, Stephen McGivern, it is now easy for the store managers to remotely track the events that have happened. The centralised monitoring was also an absolute requirement. “Centralised monitoring for all stores for out of hours alarms was also a key requirement“, Stephen McGivern says.

The Mirasys system supports all of the Axis camera features and is able to detect different events accurately from a wide picture. In particular, the corridor format features that provide efficient surveillance of the aisles have made it possible to reduce the number of cameras.

Stephen McGivern compliments the new security surveillance solution of the stores:
“The key requirements were met, and we acquired an efficient substitute for our previous surveillance system – without a monumental cost increase. Thanks to Mirasys and Axis, we can expand our current video surveillance system as the number of stores increases.”

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Mirasys in Financial Institutions & Highly Regulated Industries Like Casino Gaming

Surveillance plays a crucial role in the security and operational integrity of financial institutions worldwide, including those in Europe, Asia, and the USA. The importance of surveillance in these institutions cannot be overstated, as they deal with sensitive financial transactions, valuable assets, and are potential targets for various security threats, including theft, fraud, and cyberattacks.

  1. Security and Fraud Prevention: Surveillance systems are essential for monitoring activities within and around bank premises. They help in deterring criminal activities such as robberies and unauthorized access. Moreover, surveillance footage serves as valuable evidence in investigating incidents of fraud and internal malpractices.
  2. Compliance Requirements: Financial institutions are subject to strict regulatory compliance standards imposed by government authorities and industry watchdogs. These regulations, such as GDPR in Europe, SEC regulations in the USA, and various banking regulations across Asia, mandate stringent security measures, including surveillance monitoring, to safeguard customer data, prevent money laundering, and ensure fair practices.
  3. Risk Management: Surveillance systems aid in identifying potential security risks and vulnerabilities within the institution’s infrastructure. By continuously monitoring activities, banks can proactively mitigate risks and strengthen their security posture.
  4. Operational Efficiency: Surveillance technology not only enhances security but also improves operational efficiency. It allows for the monitoring of customer flow, queue management, and staff performance, leading to better resource allocation and service delivery.
  5. Legal Protection: Surveillance footage serves as valuable evidence in legal proceedings, including investigations, disputes, and compliance audits. It provides a comprehensive record of events, ensuring transparency and accountability.

In this context, companies like Mirasys play a vital role in helping secure banks and financial institutions:

  1. Tailored Solutions: Mirasys specializes in providing video management systems tailored to the specific needs and regulatory requirements of the banking sector. Their solutions are designed to address the unique security challenges faced by financial institutions.
  2. Experience and Expertise: With extensive experience working with numerous banks across Europe, Asia, and the USA, Mirasys understands the complex security landscape of the financial industry. Their expertise enables them to develop robust surveillance solutions that meet regulatory compliance standards and exceed industry best practices.
  3. Innovative Technology: Mirasys leverages cutting-edge technology, including advanced analytics and AI-powered surveillance, to enhance threat detection and incident response capabilities. This allows banks to stay ahead of evolving security threats and regulatory requirements.
  4. Casino Compliance: Mirasys’s presence in many casinos across the USA underscores its commitment to meeting stringent compliance laws and minimum internal control standards. The experience gained from securing highly regulated casino environments further enhances Mirasys’s capabilities in ensuring compliance and security within financial institutions.

Smart City ~ Varanasi (IN) & Mirasys

Varanasi, also known as Benares, Benaras or Kashi, is more than just a city for the people of India. It is known as the religious capital of the country. The love of the town is not limited to India; tourists from all over the world visit this spiritual capital all-round the year. American poet Mark Twain, once said; “Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the vision to make Varanasi scenic, progressive, safe, clean and unified. Being a Prime Ministers’ constituency, the city has attracted the world’s attention. The entire concept of Varanasi smart city project is focused on Varanasi’s socio-economic growth, cleanliness, smooth traffic movement – which opted for Mirasys’s deep learning-based analytics. Mirasys Video Management System learning methods includes Comparative, Adaptive and Hermeneutic methodology for different adverse conditions. The same used to implement solutions effectively in indoors, outdoors, specific areas, etc.

The Challenges for the project were:
• Tighten city security
• Improve crowd management
• Decongest city road
• Proper vehicle flow & identify parking violations  

The following used cases are implemented for the smart city solution:
• Intrusion detection / Virtual fence
• Congestion detection / People counting / Crowd gathering 
• Counter of flow and movement / Wrong or One-way detection
• Camera vandalism
• Parking violation 
• People loitering within the restricted area
• Left / Unattended object
• Object classification 

Trandum Detention Center VMS Study

Video surveillance systems are essential in providing effective security in prisons and correctional facilities rate self-harm, drug use, and officer misconduct are just a few examples of the unfortunate acts that can occur. Incidents involving inmate violence, deliberate self-harm, drug use and officer misconduct are just a few examples of the unfortunate act that can occur within prison walls. Video surveillance also effectively prevents escape, smuggling of goods and detects menacing plans. Norway’s first and so far only alien’s detention center opened in 2004 and is located in Trandum, close to Oslo airport.  It is here where asylum seekers are placed when the authorities consider them as unauthorized arrivals or illegal immigrants. Persons without identity papers or persons about to be repatriated to their country of origin are also held here.

NEW VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

Video surveillance provides more comprehensive monitoring and a heightened level of safety for inmates and workers. “We wanted to make sure our video surveillance was up to par and a new system with 55 cameras was installed in May 2008,” tells Axel Withers, Head of Security for the Immigration Service at the national police in Norway. The detention center had earlier an old surveillance solution with limited functionalities and big quad monitors jamming the control room. But they still wanted to benefit from the functioning analog cameras that had been installed earlier. To provide a smooth migration towards IP surveillance, Mirasys V series, a hybrid recorder, was chosen by Trandum’s alien detention center to replace the ageing system. The migration project was designed by ADI-Alarmsystem AS Norway and installed by Nor-Alarm Öst.


Mirasys V series is a complete set of hybrid recorders that support both legacy analog cameras as well as IP cameras. Mirasys V series recorders are delivered with Mirasys NVR Enterprise software. “It offers an intuitive, user-friendly interface that enables security staff to quickly get up to speed and supports smart searches of archived images for fast response to events,” comments Kato Lystad from ADI-Alarmsystem. “Moreover, the Mirasys V series scales easily, so it supports the addition of more cameras at the facility if needs should arise in the future”.

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE PROVIDES VISUAL EVIDENCE

The detention center is a facility where tension is high as many of the persons held here are desperate. This can result in fights, outbursts and other disturbances. Unfortunately it also happens that personnel get assaulted. “We have had cases where the detained have accused our personnel of misconduct. But video surveillance footage proved that our personnel was not acting out of line,” explains Withers. The detention center has a responsibility to keep the detained safe and alive. There is legal precedence in case law to support this responsibility. “Putting an inmate under constant surveillance can sometimes be the only way to ensure that they are not going to harm themselves and video surveillance has been a great aid,” tells Withers. The Trandum detention center is divided into four sections, two for single men, one for single ladies and one for families. Every section is divided into a day room, kitchen, dormitories and bathroom facilities. “We also have visiting rooms and an activity center in a separate building where the detainees can listen to music, study, use a computer, watch TV or play sports”, explains Withers. “Here the surveillance system provides an enhanced level of safety when the detained are escorted through the yard”.

IMPROVED VISUAL COVERAGE

The new surveillance system gives improved visual coverage. While guards and officers cannot be everywhere at once, the surveillance system can provide continuous coverage of an entire facility. “It is great that I can use my laptop and log on wherever I am. I can access live and recorded video from anywhere on the network,” comments Withers. “Foremost video surveillance provides a heightened level of safety both for the detained and the people who work here,” tells Withers. “We also use video surveillance for evidential purposes in case of a disturbance and we monitor meetings between the detained and visitors. The surveillance system is also a good tool to control that all doors has been locked properly. Furthermore the video surveillance system helps preventing smuggling of goods into the facility from the outside”.

SMART FEATURES

The search and analysis tools allow the operators to quickly find the required video clip from recorded footage. Mirasys provides the possibility to export tamperproof high-quality video and audio clips for evidential purposes. “We are particularly impressed by the quality of the recorded video from the Mirasys system and the flexibility to up-scale the system for the future,” comments Withers. Identity and access management is supported in IP video systems through the use of sophisticated user account features that allow system administrators to customize user accounts according to user-specific roles, thus preventing them from accessing unauthorized functionality such as export data. “The fact that every user has their own profiles is phenomenal. First it is a matter of security, second it’s about comfort. Your preferred outlay is always ready and nobody can mess with it nor with the configurations. We can securely monitor and view recorded video from any remote location, thru multiple user accounts with controlled access”, tells Withers. The system administrator will define the rights for each user. User accounts and access rights increases the level of security within the network by prohibiting unauthorized use. Withers conclude, “Mirasys surveillance solution is a significant improvement compared to our old system and more than meets the needs of the detention center by providing high quality video which can be used for evidential purposes and by improved software management”.

Mirasys in Financial Institutions & Gaming

Surveillance plays a crucial role in the security and operational integrity of financial institutions worldwide, including those in Europe, Asia, and the USA. The importance of surveillance in these institutions cannot be overstated, as they deal with sensitive financial transactions, valuable assets, and are potential targets for various security threats, including theft, fraud, and cyberattacks.

  1. Security and Fraud Prevention: Surveillance systems are essential for monitoring activities within and around bank premises. They help in deterring criminal activities such as robberies and unauthorized access. Moreover, surveillance footage serves as valuable evidence in investigating incidents of fraud and internal malpractices.
  2. Compliance Requirements: Financial institutions are subject to strict regulatory compliance standards imposed by government authorities and industry watchdogs. These regulations, such as GDPR in Europe, SEC regulations in the USA, and various banking regulations across Asia, mandate stringent security measures, including surveillance monitoring, to safeguard customer data, prevent money laundering, and ensure fair practices.
  3. Risk Management: Surveillance systems aid in identifying potential security risks and vulnerabilities within the institution’s infrastructure. By continuously monitoring activities, banks can proactively mitigate risks and strengthen their security posture.
  4. Operational Efficiency: Surveillance technology not only enhances security but also improves operational efficiency. It allows for the monitoring of customer flow, queue management, and staff performance, leading to better resource allocation and service delivery.
  5. Legal Protection: Surveillance footage serves as valuable evidence in legal proceedings, including investigations, disputes, and compliance audits. It provides a comprehensive record of events, ensuring transparency and accountability.

In this context, companies like Mirasys play a vital role in helping secure banks and financial institutions:

  1. Tailored Solutions: Mirasys specializes in providing video management systems tailored to the specific needs and regulatory requirements of the banking sector. Their solutions are designed to address the unique security challenges faced by financial institutions.
  2. Experience and Expertise: With extensive experience working with numerous banks across Europe, Asia, and the USA, Mirasys understands the complex security landscape of the financial industry. Their expertise enables them to develop robust surveillance solutions that meet regulatory compliance standards and exceed industry best practices.
  3. Innovative Technology: Mirasys leverages cutting-edge technology, including advanced analytics and AI-powered surveillance, to enhance threat detection and incident response capabilities. This allows banks to stay ahead of evolving security threats and regulatory requirements.
  4. Casino Compliance: Mirasys’s presence in many casinos across the USA underscores its commitment to meeting stringent compliance laws and minimum internal control standards. The experience gained from securing highly regulated casino environments further enhances Mirasys’s capabilities in ensuring compliance and security within financial institutions.