New Samsung Heat-map Analytic Solution Improves Retail Operations and Customer Service
Samsung Techwin America 
has released a new retail analytic solution with a Heat Map feature that analyzes movement in a scene to provide a graphical representation of the areas where the most activity occurred. The SSM-VA10 is currently supported by Samsung’s SRN-4000 64-Channel Network Video Recorder and will soon be released as an analytic add-on for the Samsung Security Manager (SSM) Network Total Management software, which is available license-free for systems with 16 or fewer cameras, for analysis and reporting.
“The SSM-VA10 solution is a valuable tool for retailers, who can use the information to make informed decisions about their staffing, marketing, merchandising, operations and overall customer service,” said Tom Cook, VP of Sales, Samsung Techwin North America. “This analytic tool also improves retailers’ return on investment by providing additional value to their video surveillance system.”
Using motion detection, SSM-VA10’s Heat Map analyzes movements in and through areas of a store, and displays this information on screen by overlaying eight colors according to the level of density and activity in those areas. Additionally, managers can view customers’ staying time by clicking on each grid to determine which displays or products are most popular. This information can be used to determine whether particular items should be displayed in high-traffic areas, as well as which items are not selling as well as expected.
Among the advanced functions of the Heat Map analytic are object classification and motion search. The SRN-4000 combines these features with the ability to select start and end times, which allows users to determine how well a particular display in a store performed at one time of day compared to another.
Users can also perform a smart search for movement, including vehicles or an individual entering an area under surveillance, within a specified area of the video. The analytic indexes the video and displays results within seconds, saving the user from having to retrieve and review all video-containing movement.
Because the SRN-4000 processes video as it is recorded, including additional metadata about where motion occurred, the analytic does not need to analyze video frame by frame, allowing heat mapping to be performed in seconds.
To improve staffing and operations, the SSM-VA10 can alert management to long lines at the registers so additional registers can be opened to accommodate customers waiting to make purchases.