The mission of Hanwha Vision is to provide the most advanced solutions for securing people, property, and data while delivering a superior customer experience through continuous innovation, unparalleled service, and the highest standards of integrity.
Campus Safety caught up with Hanwha Vision Business Development Manager for Education Paul DuBois to find out what visitors to his company’s booths can expect to see at GSX September 23-25 in Orlando, Fla., as well as how the technology can benefit schools, universities, and hospitals.
Paul DuBois, Photo courtesy of Hanwha Vision
Campus Safety: What is the top product or offering your company is showing off at GSX this year, and what makes it special? How does it apply to healthcare facilities, schools and/or higher education security, public safety and/or emergency management?
Paul DuBois: At GSX, Hanwha Vision is showcasing a full line of IP cameras with AI, multi-channel, and multidirectional capabilities, in several form factors from dome to PTRZ. One highlight for schools at GSX will be Hanwha Vision’s PNM-C16013RVQ four-channel, mini multi-directional dome camera.
This model combines a field of view of up to 360° and AI analytics with WiseStream III video compression for bandwidth and storage reduction. The new camera, the most compact 4-channel model available with AI and built-in IR, can seamlessly blend into environments where inconspicuous aesthetics and image quality are required. Its multi-directional capabilities enable discreet monitoring with no blind spots, and its compact size makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations. AI-based object detection and classification help generate metadata including object type (Person, Face, Vehicle, License Plate), reducing false alarms and enhancing forensic search efficiency. AI analytics monitor for loitering and line-crossing. Four built-in IR LEDs ensure crisp and clear video footage, even in low-light conditions.
CS: What other products or offerings would you like to highlight, and what are some of their qualities and benefits?
DuBois: Several Hanwha Vision products are relevant to the school market, either K-12 or higher education.
Our fisheye AI IR cameras are ideal for situational awareness in large areas requiring complete coverage with no blind spots, as well as classrooms, cafeterias, multi-purpose rooms and administrative offices.
For larger districts and especially higher ed institutions with large stadiums and arenas, our 8K resolution camera can cover the entire crowd and field, and then also zoom in tightly on people or objects, enlarging a subject without losing any resolution.
Also, visitor access is always important for any school, and we have intercom cameras and wall-mount camera systems that offer a clear view of visitors buzzing in at a front gate or office door.
CS: How do your company and its offerings address the needs of hospitals, schools and/or universities?
DuBois: Many schools are operating with limited resources and are looking for products offering versatility, ease of installation and fewer logistical headaches. Multi-channel, multidirectional cameras with AI and IR capabilities can help schools get the most out of their tech spend. With just one multi-directional camera using one IP data connection, a facility can cover large areas more efficiently. A school may use Hanwha dual-sensor cameras in hallways with 90-degree turns or long runs to cover the entire floor, plus stairwells to monitor up-and-down traffic.
Most schools can’t afford to have a dedicated person live monitoring a video wall. IP cameras with AI-based analytics help school administrators get a better handle on access control and monitoring of hallways, classrooms, and exterior parking lots.
AI can help detect and classify important objects and people, while filtering out irrelevant motion that can trigger false alarms. Cameras with built-in analytics can also be used for people-counting to accurately track the volume of people entering or exiting a building, which helps administrators monitor their population on any given day against their attendance records.
We’re also seeing increasing uses of our license plate recognition (LPR) and vehicle analytics technology to capture details about traffic flow and the types of vehicles entering a campus.
CS: What else is new or noteworthy about your company for 2023?
DuBois: Our customers are working differently and so are we. Manufacturers and solutions providers need to adapt to the changing dynamics within each industry, knowing that what worked as recently as two years ago is probably not going to work as well today, and certainly not for tomorrow.
At GSX, these efforts will be on full display: AI powered, Cloud connected surveillance solutions, from hardware devices offering 24/7 protection to software-based business intelligence solutions delivering new data-driven business insights. GSX attendees will see how new applications of AI in Hanwha Vision IP cameras enable precise detection, robust search, elevated data analysis, and enhanced image quality. With Hanwha Vision’s new OnCloud VMS and full ecosystem of cloud-based apps, the company is demonstrating how cloud capabilities enable on-premise and remote surveillance management.
CS: What is your company’s overall value proposition to schools, universities and/or hospitals? Why should they do business with you?
DuBois: Every school is different, with varying campus sizes, student populations, geographical locations and, of course, different budgets and surveillance requirements. Hanwha Vision is a firm believer in meeting schools where they are and working with each to tailor the right surveillance system.
One school may only want devices to monitor and protect a campus, another may want to add AI and analytics. Some are ready to fully move their surveillance resources to the cloud, while others may want to take a phased hybrid approach. By listening to our school customers and understanding what they need, we can help support each school’s model.
Hanwha Vision also does whatever we can to make it as easy as possible for our school customers to upgrade their surveillance capabilities. For example, our VMS and analytics are well-suited to schools, especially K-12, that have limited budgets and want to avoid recurring costs. Our analytics are built into the camera on the edge. Customers pay a one-time license and after that, there are no recurring costs for our VMS.
CS: Is there anything else you would like to add?
DuBois: Schools are facing heightened risk levels, and administrators are increasingly realizing the need to maintain high levels of situational awareness at all times across campuses and districts. This is resulting in an increased number of surveillance systems at schools of all sizes across the nation. Advancements in surveillance technology and greater access to funding are helping schools get smarter – and more creative – with their intelligent video surveillance deployments.
We’re seeing cloud-based video solutions gaining traction in education. As resources become thinner and thinner in the education vertical, it’s harder for a school to have a robust IT staff that can manage a server room and racks of servers. But on-premise surveillance still has a place, since many education professionals like to have data at their fingertips. To get the best of both worlds, some schools are deploying both on-premise and cloud-based solutions, depending on their size, budget and coverage needs.
More schools will increase their use of analytics to gain new insights into every aspect of their daily operations, and it doesn’t always need to be confined to strictly school-related functions. For example, many college campuses have diverse and sophisticated food service amenities. Those store operators would appreciate receiving data-driven business insights into customer traffic patterns and what food items or merchandise is selling better at certain times of the day or week.
It’s all about matching the right technology to the right application.
Visit Hanwha Vision at their GSX booths 1701, 3009, and 3011, or visit them online at hanwavisionamerica.com.
