All Eyes on IP video Surveillance
Clement James, April 23, 2008
The market for IP and networked video surveillance grew nearly 50 per cent in 2007 to approach $500m worldwide, according to newly published data. Research house MultiMedia Intelligence said that the jump is nearly four times that of the broader video surveillance equipment market. This includes CCTV cameras, digital video recorders, network video recorders and IP encoder/streamers. But while IP/networked video surveillance camera units and revenue are growing rapidly, they remain a small percentage of the overall surveillance market.
MultiMedia Intelligence believes that the outlook for continued growth of IP/networked video surveillance is strong. However, the barriers to it overtaking traditional CCTV surveillance will prove "enduring". "The transition from traditional CCTV surveillance to networked digital surveillance is revolutionary for the physical security industry," said Mark Kirstein, president of MultiMedia Intelligence. "Yet this transition is also seen as over-hyped and under-performing compared to many expectations. Both are true." MultiMedia also found that companies such as Cisco, IBM and Intel are adding a fierce new competitive dynamic.
New IP/networked surveillance companies such as IndigoVision, March Networks and Nice Systems, meanwhile, are providing unprecedented competition which is dramatically accelerating product innovation.
Surveillance software sales soar
Robert Jaques, May 28, 2008
The rapid transition from analogue to digital video will fuel a boom in demand for video surveillance software, experts predict. "Analytics software has become increasingly sophisticated and more accurate, " noted ABI Research vice president and research director Stan Schatt. "It is beginning to be used for such tasks as identifying customer buying behaviour, identifying criminal behaviour before crimes take place, identifying objects left unattended in public venues, and much more."
A new ABI study forecasts a fourfold increase in revenue from video surveillance software between now and the end of 2013, rising from about $245m to more than $900m. The report also said that surveillance software is being used beyond traditional homeland security applications.
Companies are identifying customers' "eyeball connections" with products to analyse their "retail behaviour", while casinos are using it to keep staff from restricted areas. Surveillance software can also be used in ATMs and banks to identify known criminals before they commit a crime, which ABI acknowledges has shades of the film Minority Report.
Mitel Solutions Alliance for VoIP Brings Innovation to Life
PR Newswire, March 11, 2008
Third-party vendors enhance richness and reach of Mitel unified communications portfolio.
PHOENIX, AZ, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitel(R), the provider of unified communications solutions for the real world, has announced a comprehensive program that enables a wide range of third-party vendors to create products and services that integrate and / or interoperate with Mitel's core business communications portfolio. Combining vendors, developers and Mitel authorized PARTNERs vendors from the MiSN Partner Program, the Inter-Tel Solutions Alliance (ISA), Inter-Tel CommSource and other worldwide vendors, the Mitel Solutions Alliance (MSA) counts over 150 vendors.
Finding the right allies, building and maintaining the right technology relationships, and delivering high value integrated solutions are critical components to success in the current business communications marketplace and to extending Mitel's offering," said Ron Wellard, executive vice president, product development at Mitel. "MSA creates a rich ecosystem of suppliers to add value to all of Mitel's core product platforms for the benefit of authorized PARTNERs and end customers, and Mitel by creating innovative complementary products and services that differentiate our solutions."
The MSA program provides three membership levels for participating third-party vendors, developers, and authorized PARTNERs - Developer, Preferred and Gold Preferred membership - each having a distinctive set of benefits.
"MSA enables us to strengthen our position as a market leader in the voice and data communications industry, through building of alliances with those companies who share and complement our market vision and can help us implement it rapidly and successfully," said Doug Michaelides, Mitel's vice president of global marketing.
The clearly articulated MSA program structure, with corresponding features, benefits, and benchmarks, also provides a roadmap for Mitel's third-party vendor and authorized PARTNERs to see how they can grow and increase their channel penetration and business success with Mitel over time.
Vendors within the former Mitel MiSN and Inter-Tel's ISA programs who have developed solutions compatible with the companies' products will now see a broader opportunity to extend their value proposition and work with the authorized PARTNER community.
With a multitude of potential companion solutions crowding the marketplace, the MSA program helps Mitel customers and authorized PARTNERs make good choices by doing the necessary research, identification, qualification, development and test support, and business relationship development of third-party vendors and their solutions. This vetted portfolio of qualified options is delivered to channel vendors and customers through the centralized and searchable Mitel Global Solutions Catalog.
By joining MSA, members gain access to Mitel development tools, support, test resources, and marketing channels needed to deliver quality-integrated solutions to Mitel customers.
About Mitel:
Mitel delivers flexibility and simplicity in smart unified communications solutions and applications for organizations of all sizes. Combined with a full range of managed services that include voice and data network design and traffic provisioning, custom application development, and attractive financing options, Mitel is reinventing how successful organizations gain competitive advantage by easily collaborating and communicating over distance and time with customers, colleagues and partners. Mitel's US headquarters are in Phoenix, AZ. Global headquarters are in Ottawa, Canada, with offices, partners and resellers worldwide.
Samsung launch new IP Video phone
Seoul, Korea on Aug 03, 2006
In a strategic announcement, Samsung is pleased to announce the launch of two new IP Video phones in Korea, the ITP-5100V for the Office and the SMT-i8000 for the Home environment.
Samsung have researched and prepared these IP Video solutions for future multimedia communication. The development stage has been completed and we are delighted to launch both these IP Video phones with immediate effect in Korea.
The, Office IP Video phone, ITP-5100V is fully integrated with the Samsung OfficeServ range of systems and in addition to having the full feature set of existing wired IP phones, this exciting new phone also includes a number of multimedia features including, VoD, Video Caller ID, etc. It will be deployed in August at Daewoo Securities, a Korean stock-blocking company and will be connected to an OfficeServ 7200 system. In addition the ITP-5100V will also be deployed at another Korean site, Gangneung City-Hall in August and will be linked to an OfficeServ 7400 system.
The Home IP Video phone, SMT-i8000 has already received a great deal of interest due to its stylish design and range of multimedia features. This interest has been received from top management of a number of major companies in Korea and when previewed at foreign exhibitions. With its slogan, "Seeing is Loving." it will be deployed with Samsung Networks, Korean ITSP, within the year and will be linked to Samsung Networks' Softswitch.
Samsung Releases New Convergence Platforms
Owen Linderholm, June, 27, 2006/ VoIPNews-
Samsung Electronics, a division of the Korean giant manufacturer, has indicated that it feels that the future of communications could very well be based on conversion and ubiquitous mobile networks based on IP, a series of new network products that address convergence, and a list of strategic alliance partners.
Since Samsung is a market leader in cellphone mobile handsets, it is in a position to work on the convergence of IP technologies and cellular technologies, a technological area that is still very much in flux. Samsung feels that it is in a great position to address the converged data/voice and fixed/mobile network. In particular, Samsung forsees a future with mobile handsets with multiple gigabytes of memories using NAND flash and capability of accessing hundreds of megabits per second.
"Today's network is experiencing unprecedented changes," says Youngsoo Ryu, the General Manager and Senior Vice President at Samsung. "While data and voice convergence is in full swing, wired and wireless convergence is beginning to gather momentum. We see incredible opportunities to address the new growing market, where a single converged network providing voice, data, and video over any access medium is increasingly becoming wireless. In fact, taking historical technology advancements as evidence, all access to the network will be done wirelessly in the near future, and we certainly intend to be a driving force as this market develops."
Samsung plans to deliver convergence for the enterprise market first. "The enterprise market presents an obvious choice for us because competitive pressures encourage enterprises to pioneer in new technologies to drive out cost and increase productivity. In other words, economies of scale mean that they have the most to gain by being faster at adapting new technologies and that will definitely be the case for the mobility-enable networks Samsung is developing," explains Youngsoo Ryu.
Specifically, Samsung plans to introduce products in four key areas: Networking Infrastructure, Voice Communications, Mobility, and Security.
The initial products for Network Infrastructure are the Ubigate iBG Series Convergence Platforms. The Ubigate iBG Series delivers essential features such as routing, switching, security and voice integration into a single platform. The Ubigate iBG Series offers customers carrier-class routing, including MPLS, large switching port-density, and supports both analog and digital voice interfaces.
Samsung has finished basic interoperability tests and is now carrying out advanced tests to work with the Avaya voice solution. Samsung has also recently concluded interoperability tests with Meru Networks, for VoWLAN solutions. On the security side, Samsung is actively working with Microsoft to provide comprehensive end-point security through integration with Network Access Protection, Microsoft's policy enforcement platform.
VoIP helps mobilize, protect Mitel users
Amanda Mitchell, News Editor, 29 Aug 2006/SearchVoIP.com- Enhancements and additions to Mitel's product lineup are geared toward letting network professionals use VoIP technology to improve employee mobility, business continuity and disaster recovery.
Among the enhanced products is version 4.0 of Mitel's Teleworker solution, which now allows network engineers to prepare the enterprise for an increase in telecommuters. Mitel has expanded its Teleworker solution with collaboration and unified communications applications. Plugged into any broadband connection, the Teleworker solution now provides support for Mitel's Your Assistant Softphone without the need for a VPN connection.
It also provides the capabilities of a softphone, combined with powerful enterprise features such as presence and availability, secure Instant Messaging (IM) and file transfer, video, data sharing, and full collaboration over the enterprise-grade Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP) and Mitel 200 ICP for smaller business environments.
"[These additions] are important because they enable our customers to use a softphone with any broadband connection to get connectivity without a VPN requirement," said Dave Spence, Mitel's solutions manager for mobility.
Mitel has also added Quick Conference to its portfolio of collaboration tools, with a goal of helping small and midsized businesses (SMBs) avoid costly hosted conferencing services. Quick Conference scales up to 32 participants, or four conference calls, each with eight participants. Connection to the Mitel 3300 ICP occurs through a SIP interface. User access to the system is via a telephone user interface (TUI) or a Web-based graphical user interface (GUI).
Meanwhile, enhancements to Mitel's second-generation Mobile Extension solution extends the availability of PBX features and functionality to mobile, home and wireless devices. The Mitel Mobile Extension enterprise mobility solution includes Calling Line ID to the mobile or remote device, call transfer, hold and conference codes, and the ability to establish a quick conference from any mobile device over the corporate network.
In a workaround solution that lets organizations reduce roaming and long distance charges, Mobile Extension can also be used in conjunction with enterprise hot-desking to move phone calls seamlessly from cell to desk phone in any enterprise location. The user simply logs in to the nearest Mitel IP phone and takes control of the phone, making it his extension number, complete with his user profile.
Among Mitel's new products announcements is the Mitel wireless LAN stand, which converts an IP phone into a wireless device. An example of how this technology might come into play is a construction site where users don't want to run wires and install a PBX because it's a temporary setup.
"The LAN stand can plug into any network connection, so if you're unable to run wires, this wireless module would allow you to get up and running really quickly," Spence said.
One enterprise user, an insurance company located in the southeast of the United States, is considering the Mitel product lineup as part of its business continuity plan. The company is anticipating the need to scatter employees in case of any type of catastrophic event that threatens to bring business grinding to a halt, even if it's only for one day.
"We offer an end-to-end solution that means employees don't have to be at the office," Spence said. "This means they can stay at home longer and beat traffic …. As far as business continuity, in the event of an outage, employees can work from home."
IDC research analyst Nora Freedman views IP-based unified communications tools as key components that companies should be looking at these days. "No vendor wants to lead with fear and uncertainty and painting its prospect into a corner, but they need to show that they have the tools [so] that if something catastrophic happens, these are the benefits."
For the last couple of years, according to Freedman, the attitude toward IP unified communication tools has been: "Can we really rely on the credibility of this technology? Can we guarantee that it's more than just cool [and] there are benefits that can be achieved?" But she said that "it's passed the muster test … we are starting to see more of the disaster recovery story."
Samsung Calls on Enterprise Telephony
Amy Storer, News Writer 19 Apr 2005 | SearchEnterpriseVoice.com-
The telecommunications unit of Samsung, a company largely known for consumer electronics, is leveraging its brand in the enterprise telephony market with a new line of IP-enabled office systems. Dallas-based Samsung Telecommunications America, which has quietly accumulated 13 years of experience in the enterprise telephony space, recently unveiled several new products: a suite of computer telephony integration (CTI) applications that add telephony and call management functions to PCs, a new gateway that can forward voice and fax messages to an e-mail account, and a Single-Line integrated Mobility (SLiM) product, an ancillary in-building wireless voice access point for Samsung phone systems with standard analog station ports.
Samsung also added IP communications features to its iDCS communications platforms. The smaller iDCS 100 and Samsung's larger iDCS 500 now offer enhanced IP networking, which enhances feature transparency across multi-node networks on the platforms. The iDCS 100 PBX now supports the company's ITP-5000 series VoIP keysets. Both systems work with the OfficeServe, E-Mail Gateway and SLiM offerings.
The vendor's OfficeServ Suite of CTI Applications is a portfolio of new PC-resident communication and call management applications that allow an end user to manage Samsung phones and telephony systems. Samsung's e-mail gateway allows users to receive voice mail messages as .wav attachments and incoming faxes as .tiff attachments in e-mails.
The SLiM wireless voice access point system can support up to eight end points, either Samsung mobility handsets or wireless repeaters. The SLiM package includes a controller base station, a repeater, handsets and a site survey kit. An optional directional antenna extends wireless voice coverage to immediate outside areas around the building. Steve Gobeli, vice president of Samsung's business communications systems division, said the vendor's product line and the SLiM system in particular can help businesses converge wireline and wireless voice networks and mobilize business communications. Gobeli said Samsung's ultimate goal is to develop a communications platform with IP functionality that allows a softphone user to roam on a network that accompanies road-warrior and cubicle-bound professionals alike.
Steve Hilton, director of small and mid sized business strategies with Boston-based research firm Yankee Group, said SLiM's platform preparation for the next step is what differentiates this product from competitors. Hilton said while the vendor is currently attempting to build market share in a space in which it is not well recognized, its strategy will soon encompass an area that it does have a proven track record: mobile phones. Hilton said this vision -- coupled with Samsung's name recognition and competitive product pricing -- has the potential to "turn Avaya, Nortel, Cisco and Mitel on their heads." The IP systems are available now and range -- based on configuration size, features and phone types -- from $400 to $420.