Data Capture

Outdoor shopping plaza unifies security and marketing data into a unified video system

• By Steve Birkmeier
• May 01, 2017

A large, outdoor shopping plaza located in a major city in Italy is home to a wide array of retailers, restaurants and kiosks designed to meet the varying needs of consumers across the region. The shopping center is located in close vicinity to a major highway, increasing its profile and popularity with locals and visitors.

With a large amount of people visiting the facility on a daily basis, there is a focus on ensuring a high level of safety. Shopping areas, in general, are faced with the challenging goal of maintaining a safe and comfortable environment. There is no one-sizefits- all approach to security, and therefore, individual centers must continually update and refine security plans and work closely with law enforcement partners to ensure a comprehensive approach to safety.

With this in mind, the leaders of this shopping plaza determined it was time to consider updating its security posture and specifically sought to evaluate how the deployment of intelligent technology could augment existing security and monitoring efforts, and the capabilities of on-site personnel.

Stakeholders began exploring new tools to gain additional insight to realize a more proactive approach to identifying suspicious activity. Leaders reached out to its trusted systems integrator to begin to explore the benefits of a new technology deployment. After in-depth discussions and evaluation, officials determined that an integrated software platform with video and business intelligence capabilities could enhance situational awareness, improve emergency preparedness and response, expedite investigations and help elevate the shopping experience. Additionally, stakeholders specifically sought out a scalable solution that would not only help ensure a safe and secure environment but could scale and grow as needs evolved over time.

The shopping center previously relied on an antiquated CCTV system, which consisted of approximately 45 analog cameras managed by a single DVR. This set-up did not allow the organization to share video and security data efficiently, or tap into the benefits of networked solutions. It also did not provide officials with high-quality video that could be used reliably for forensic purposes.

After a testing process in which the shopping center tested a bevy of video management solutions, it selected Arteco video event management software as the backbone of its new video surveillance initiative. Additionally, stakeholders decided to maximize its existing investment, transitioning analog cameras with encoders, and installing new high-resolution IP camera in high-risk areas.

One of the key features of the Arteco NEXT software platform is its ease-of-use, said plaza officials. Leveraging intuitive graphical maps, NEXT provides security operators with an easy-to-use software solution that consolidates third-party devices and notifications, easing management of live and recorded events for efficient resource deployment.

Beyond ease of use, the functionality offered by Arteco Next, particularly its built-in video analytics, delivers a level of protection that isn’t available with traditional video management systems. Operators can now access analytics to set up virtual trip wires within the frame of the cameras to automatically trigger video recording when motion is detected. The plaza also wanted to keep track of vehicles entering and exiting the property to not only improve security but to eventually be able to create a database and easily identify the license plates of any suspicious vehicles. Arteco LPR is used to help manage access to the eight vehicular gates, strategically placed at ingress and egress points of the shopping plaza’s perimeter.

“When we met with Arteco and our systems integration partner, it became clear that we required a system that would easily integrate the old and the new systems, and provide us with new layers of intelligence to be more proactive. This approach allows us to maximize existing investments while allowing us to transition to newer, more advanced technology over time,” the shopping center’s manager said.

Beyond the security and safety benefits, the shopping center has found new uses for its video surveillance system. Arteco NEXT is being used to generate in-depth reports that detail business data, such as peak shopping hours and traffic flows. The shopping center’s leaders commented that Arteco NEXT’s streamlined interface enables operators to tap into a wide array of potential uses and enables the facility to take advantage of the full capabilities of the system and realize new levels of security and business intelligence.

This article originally appeared in the May 2017 issue of Security Today.