ARMONK, NY--Mar 28, 2007 -- IBM (NYSE:IBM - News), a leading provider of global security services, today announced the immediate availability of a new advanced digital video surveillance (DVS) service. The launch of IBM's latest DVS service marks an important shift in the industry's approach to security, applying advanced analytics to video data and signaling the ability to converge physical and information technology (IT) security.
Key to IBM's DVS service is a first-of-a-kind innovation in video analytics which was developed by IBM researchers over the past several years. The new DVS service, called the IBM Smart Surveillance Solution, builds in the research team's advanced analytics capabilities which are designed to enable real-time decision-making and post-event correlation of people and activities.
The IBM Smart Surveillance Solution is designed to provide the unique capability to carry out efficient data analysis of video sequences either in real time or from recordings. Based on open standards-based middleware, the software platform is designed to allow monitoring and analysis of real-world events via multiple sensors, including video cameras, radar, or audio inputs.
The IBM Smart Surveillance Solution can provide a number of advantages over traditional video solutions, including:
-- Real-time alerts that can help anticipate incidents by identifying suspicious behaviors.
-- Forensic capabilities are enhanced by utilizing unique indexing and attribute-based search of video events to classify objects into categories such as people and cars.
-- Situational awareness of the location, identity and activity of objects in a monitored space including license plate recognition and face capture.
With real-time analytics capabilities, the new DVS service can open up a wide array of new applications that go far beyond the traditional security aspects of surveillance systems. Early adopter industries in this rapidly evolving market include retail, public sector and financial services.
The retail industry estimates nearly $50 billion is lost annually to fraud, theft and administrative errors. IBM extends and integrates the IBM Smart Surveillance Solution into a broader portfolio of offerings called the IBM Retail Loss Prevention solution which connects surveillance video with Point of Sale systems, inventory, customer and employee data. This integration gives retailers the ability to dynamically search and analyze store activity, view and record live action, quickly recall previous recordings, query events, and trigger alerts to loss prevention staff when anomalies are detected. Retailers also can leverage DVS technology to better understand the effectiveness of store design and in-store promotions.
Pathmark Stores has deployed an IBM DVS solution in several stores.
"Having an advanced digital video surveillance solution is critical for retailers, who are constantly dealing with in-store theft," said Pedro Ramos, Assistant Vice President of Loss Prevention, Pathmark Stores. "Advances in video surveillance technology have the potential to drastically reduce in-store theft and optimize the store environment to improve sales. We are looking at the beginning of a major advance for the retail industry."
"With IBM's new DVS service, IBM now has a complete vision for security that incorporates IT security and physical security under one umbrella," said Julie Donahue, Vice President of Security and Privacy Services, IBM. "By combining digital video and analytics, we are seeing a monumental step forward for physical security."
Other current IBM DVS clients include Kohl's department stores.
The Smart Surveillance Solution is a cross-IBM solution that leverages IBM services, from consulting, design, planning and integration, along with IBM hardware and software. Integrating IBM products with video surveillance specific technologies from alliance companies establishes IBM as a true end-to-end solution provider in this hyper-growth market.
IBM's new Digital Video Surveillance service provides an integrated video surveillance solution that can include components such as cameras, digital video recorders, servers, storage systems, software and network devices. For example, IBM Digital Video Surveillance leverages industry standard platforms, such as IBM BladeCenter, System x servers, System Storage and enterprise-wide networks to help enable wider access to video, real-time video analytics and implementation of an enterprise video system. In addition, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager can automate data backup and restore functions, support a broad range of platforms and storage devices, and centralize storage management operations.
The IBM Smart Surveillance Solution is available immediately in the United States, and on a limited basis globally. It is scheduled for general global availability in Q2 2007.
About IBM For more information, visit www.ibm.com
