New Book Open-Sources Surveillance Strategies

3VR alum John Honovich is well on his way to becoming a new J.P. Freeman for the digital age. For the uninitiated, J.P. Freeman is a security consultant who conducts research in the industry and produces extremely expensive reports that everyone in the industry feels compelled to buy. Hondo's approach? Let them use surveillance. His new 132-page "Security Manager's Guide to Video Surveillance" is 100% free and available as a download from his site, IPVideoMarket.info. In addition to information about all the various products available related video surveillance, the book includes easy-to-follow tutorials on everything from megapixel cameras to license plate recognition and network video.

"Quality information on video surveillance for security managers is limited and expensive," Honovich told Security Info Watch. "Making this book free and open is essential to giving back to the security community and allowing anyone to learn without restrictions."

Right on! The book joins several other original reports available for free on the IPVideoMarket site.

Hondo on IPVideoMarket.info

John "Hondo" Honovich, the creator and publisher of IPVideoMarket.info recently wrote me to share some more information on his new site, why he created it, and what we can expect in the future:

Good information in video surveillance can be especially hard to get. On the one hand, you have the Hollywood effect that makes most people believe all types of incredible but unrealistic technologies. On the other, you have trade magazines that mostly recycle press releases or vendor marketing materials. The outcome is a domain that is not only misunderstood but severely distorted. A great example is your recent post debunking a facial recognition system that could somehow tell
the difference between a 17 and 18 year old.

Recently, I launched a site, IPVideoMarket.Info, dedicated to making quality information on video surveillance easy to find and share. The site scans the web finding the best security content from not only traditional magazines but also sites like InHardFocus that bring direct communication from the executives who are making and leading changes in the industry.

As I conduct original research on the industry, I am sharing that research for free at IPVideo Market.Info. One of the most important lessons of the Web is the value of sharing information and contributing to the community. Video surveillance and physical security, in general, have been for far too long dominated by a small pool of analysts that charge thousands of dollars for their reports. Information is controlled in the hands of the few at the expense of the community and our security. With open, public and free research, my hope is that we can all learn more and make better decisions in improving security.

Axis study claims that IP cameras save costs

Axis Communications has released a study that claims an IP-based system of 40 cameras offers a lower total cost of ownership than an analogue-based surveillance system. It also claims that if IP infrastructure is in place, the IP surveillance system will always cost less.

Axis UK managing director Steve Gorski said: "This study shows that on a like-for-like basis where cost is the only consideration, IP-based systems make sense at a relatively low number of installed cameras. In our experience, most end-users will have some IP infrastructure to integrate into already, which network cameras can take immediate advantage of. When you add in the wider benefits of IP-based systems, such as scalability, remote monitoring and image quality, solely basing a comparison on cost becomes less and less relevant."

The study's findings suggested that the cost to acquire, install and operate an IP-based system was 3.4 per cent lower than a traditional system consisting of analogue cameras and DVR-based recording. Overall, it says, an installation with 32 cameras is the break-even point for IP-based systems versus analogue systems.

Top 10 Asian Telecom Predictions for 2008

IDC has revealed its top 10 telecommunications predictions for the Asia-Pacific region excluding Japan (APEJ) in 2008. These include greater demand for Web 2.0 and unified communications applications such as collaboration tools within the enterprise, as well as increasing awareness in IP-surveillance products.

8. IP surveillance With IP-surveillance tools currently being deployed in Beijing, China, as part of the 2008 Olympics security plan, 2008 is set to be a "big" year for the technology. "Businesses will be receptive to IP surveillance due to increased security concerns, as well as IP surveillance's cost effectiveness," IDC said.

IP surveillance technology will become popular in the
gaming, financial services, and retail industries, the study noted, citing
physical security as a primary concern for these vertical industries. I would
add banking to this list.