Page 34 - Security Today, January/February 2020

Enabling Prevention
Enhancing security with IP network audio solutions BFy Chris Wildfoerster
or organizations that wish to monitor their premises, video surveillance is most often the first solution they think of. We’ve become ac-
customed to having access to video at any time and from anywhere, so the ability to see what’s happening at a location at any given moment is an attractive proposition. As effective as video alone is, incorporat- ing network audio as part of a security solution has been shown to increase a sur- veillance system’s overall ability to deter crime, increase safety and improve situ- ational awareness for first responders.
A Standalone System
While security professionals have used au- dio for many years, it has historically been deployed in limited situations and typi- cally as a standalone system not integrat- ed with other security solutions. Many IP cameras offer audio capabilities, but their performance is limited. For high-quality, full-featured audio, IP network speakers are an attractive proposition, offering the potential for integration, which increases the power and value of all surveillance systems at a relatively low cost.
There are many potential security and non-security applications for audio, such as targeted in store messaging and an- nouncements, queue monitoring, moni- toring high-traffic areas for safety, improv- ing loss-prevention and more.
There are four main benefits of in- corporating audio into security using IP speakers, which are discussed below.
Detection with
Advanced Analytics
Most of us are undoubtedly familiar with video analytics, which can be deployed to detect anomalies such as line-crossing, left objects, vehicles and more. The perfor- mance of these technologies has improved substantially since their introduction, however, even the most advanced video analytics are limited by the video a camera is able to capture. Therefore, their weak- ness lies in detecting incidents that occur
out of the camera’s field of vision. Audio analytics, on the other hand, are capable of monitoring a 360-degree area to cover those blind spots that lie beyond a cam- era’s field of view and ensure that inci- dents don’t fall through the cracks.
Using a preset decibel threshold or acoustic signature, audio analytics can de- termine if a specific event has occurred— such as glass breaking or a gunshot—or can be used to detect aggression in a per- son’s voice that may indicate potential es- calation of a situation. These are just two examples of the types of analytics avail- able today that transform traditionally reactive security systems into proactive so- lutions that offer the potential to prevent an event from happening in the first place.
Audio analytics also create cost savings by taking the human element out of moni- toring, allowing organizations to deploy
their security personnel more efficiently and effectively. For example, a school could set up audio and video perimeter detection analytics to automatically play a message and alert someone when a perim- eter is breached, allowing an operator or guard to concentrate on that specific event rather than trying to manually monitor the entire perimeter.
Deterrence and Prevention
Going hand in hand with detection is re- sponse, one key strength of audio is its ability to serve as a deterrent. Given the prevalence of cameras today, many people take video surveillance for granted. Either they’ve become so accustomed to cameras that they don’t notice them, or they sim- ply don’t take them seriously. After all, there’s no way to tell by looking at a cam-
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | SECURITY TODAY
AUDIO WITHIN SECURITY
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