Flexible, Expandable IP/Hybrid Camera & Recording Systems for Offices & Businesses

You can buy security cameras anywhere. But to have a truly functional, robust surveillance/recording/monitoring security camera system for your office in Oak Forest, IL, you need system design, installation, programming, and integration with your data network from someone who truly understands both. Don't get sucked into contracting services from a "camera installer" for whom IT networks are just a sideline or vice versa.

For decades, Andromeda has served the IT/Security needs of small-to-medium sized organizations like yours in the greater Chicagoland IL/Indy area. We have cultivated expertise in both the data network "brains" as well as the camera/access control/alarm/communication "arms and legs" of office systems and have years of experience integrating these together for a diverse cross-section of businesses, municipalities, and other associations/organizations.

Your timing for creating or expanding a current security camera surveillance system could not be better. There is no longer a need for an expensive, dedicated system to monitor your premises. We also provide great options for expanding an older security camera system with better/newer analog and digital technology without scrapping what you might already have! By leveraging your existing IT network for your security camera system(s), Andromeda can save you time, money, and lots of headaches with efficient integrated systems that can do more than you probably imagined: real-time alerts, automated responses, and more.

Security Camera/Surveillance/Recording Systems -Oak-Forest, IL 60452

We are a certified Panasonic Network Camera Installer. We utilize the latest in IP Video Camera technology, which allows the cameras, DVR recording and viewing all to be performed on your existing computer data network. This allows you to use your existing investment in your data wiring and data systems and extend that network into the security camera/webcam arena.

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Panasonic Cameras and Recording Software

• Panasonic manufactures over 20 different types of network video cameras. The following are some of the features that are available:
  Wireless
• Outdoor
• Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE)
• Digital and Optical Zoom
• Very High Resolution
• Low Light, Night Viewing
• Motion and Thermal Activation
• Full Pan, Tilt, and Zoom with Scanning Presets
• 2-Way Audio with Microphone and Speaker

The ability to record and later playback is an important and necessary part of any video security system. There are many options available; from on-camera memory sticks to a full-blown, searchable recording system capable of storing months worth of video from all your cameras. The viewing software is very user-friendly and easy to use.

Andromeda Technology Solutions will work to understand all your needs and provide a solution that exactly fits those needs, and allows for future growth if necessary. Our attention to detail will ensure you receive a system that you will be 100% happy with.

Applications

There are many types of applications where it pays to see there, when you cannot be there. Here are just a few types of oranizations that have benefited from our security camera systems:

• Parking Lots
• Daycare / Nursery School
• Construction Sites
• Car Dealerships
• Retail Stores
• Restaurant / Franchise
• Self Storage
• Hotel / Motel
• Multi-unit Residential

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Flexible / Programmable / Expandable Surveillance Systems

You can start with just a few cameras and expand the system as you grow. It is very easy to add security cameras to the system, without throwing away any of your initial investment.

There are options to synchronize recordings with your POS receipts, so you can exactly match the video recording with an individual receipt transaction.

The wide variety of camera types and camera options make the system extremely flexible to fit almost any application.

We can also setup remote access for you to view live video or search through recorded video, from any remote location with Internet access. You can keep tabs on your business without having to be there.

Integration: Get The Most From Your Security Systems

How does Integrated Security work?

How does Integrated Security work?

Integrated Security works by allowing you to program a multitude of responses—both in the Cloud and as control back to external hardware—based on any number of triggers from external hardware regardless of origin/type (cameras, access sensors, alarm fault sensors, motion, smoke, temperature,...)

Why is Integrated Security better?

Why is Integrated Security better?

This allows the entire system and designated human responders to more accurately assess the detailed nature of a security event and respond in the most precise/appropriate manner, virtually eliminating undue responses to false alarms.

Triggers:
• Motion in ...more

I.S. Responses:
• Discontinue ...more

Triggers:
• Door opening ...more

I.S. Responses:
• Selective lock ...more

Triggers:
• Zone fault ...more

I.S. Responses:
• Set/Reset ...more

Triggers:
• Manual Pan/Tilt/Zoom signals to designated cameras
• Overrides of any current Access Control statuses
• Set/reset Alarm status

I.S. Programmable Responses:
• Alert Central Station
• Email/text alert to owner/designated responders
• Pop appropriate camera feed(s) to all responders
• Release of appropriate cameras to manual control

Integrated Security works by allowing you to program a multitude of responses—both in the Cloud and as control back to external hardware—based on any number of triggers from external hardware regardless of origin/type (cameras, access sensors, alarm fault sensors, motion, smoke, temperature,...). This allows the entire system to more accurately assess the detailed nature of a security event and respond in the most precise/appropriate manner, virtually eliminating undue responses to false alarms.

AndroPedia Tech Library

As part of our service, it is important to keep our client-partners well informed on Security Camera system developments, news, and best practices. Here is just a sampling of typical items from our AndroPedia^SM library archive:

Professional integrated security systems are important to every business. We’ve shared the different features burglar systems provide that have nothing to do with a break in , the top five reasons you should replace your traditional lock and key with an access control system, and other educational materials over the last few months. Many times, customers consider security systems as separate components:

• Security Cameras
• Access Control
• Burglar Systems

With integrated security your solutions can work together to improve security, reduce risk and even improve productivity. That being said, we’ve decided to dedicate the next few Security Blogs to this topic.  Thru our next blog posts, we will be covering different scenarios/features that can be maximized with integrated security solutions.

Integrated Security – It Does A Whole Lot More Than You Thought

Environment Regulation – your burglar system can be equipped with special temperature sensors that will alert you if specific areas – a server room for example – exceed or dip below assigned parameters. This can save you from a great deal of hardware trouble and headache. Imagine though that with integrated security you can take this concept to an entire office building or warehouse. With integration, you can set up your facilities to monitor activity via security cameras and configure automatic lighting, heating or cooling settings for when people are present/absent. This can reduce your utility costs greatly and is an eco-friendly option for your business.

Improved Productivity – increased productivity is something everyone benefits from both personally and professionally. Traditionally, employers depended on security cameras or time clocks to monitor productivity. This was a start but hardly a way to collect data or truly motivate staff. These days software can be integrated that monitor’s user activity via the network. Keystroke logging software, web traffic logs, firewalls and other software applications can track productivity. On top of this, the data gathered show user/department trends, and any number of additional data points a company wants to gather. While some employees may grumble at the idea of close monitoring, this data can be a way for business owners to dole out promotions, bonuses and other rewards.

Visitor Management – with integrated security, visitor management for professional buildings and residential buildings is managed with software and closely monitored. No more sign in sheets, lost badges or calling up for an escort/permission (of course you can still do these things if desired). Integrated security reduces labor requirements and demands while also increasing security and protocol. A proper solution can automatically register visitors, print passes, give instructions on where to go and alert appropriate staff/persons of visitor arrival. There are even components that can be used to manage traffic flow within a facility to avoid wandering (both by foot and behind the wheel).

The post Integrated Security – It Does A Whole Lot More Than You Thought Part 1 (2 Part Series) appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Installing cameras at your office or facility is important. But once you’ve invested in having CCTV cameras installed, how are you going to use the recordings to add value to your office?

When investing in security technology, discussing why you want the equipment and what you are trying to do with it is the most important detail in the whole process.

Sure, you want to make certain that you are covering the areas at your office and building that matter most:

• Entrances
• Parking lots
• Areas with valuable inventory
• Areas with high traffic or rate of incident

But, what is the objective and why are these areas important?

One of the first questions we have for prospects looking for security cameras is, “What made you decide you want cameras?”

We hear all kinds of answers – theft, suspicious employee activity, liability . . .

Sometimes, the answer is as simple as, “I know I’ll just feel better if I have them up”.

Often times, the why is the single most important detail for a professional security project. By addressing the reason for install, we are able to make sure you get a superior product but Andromeda can also help develop a solution that adds real value, real ROI.

That focus on providing value and return on investment brings us to today’s topic –

How Integrated Security and Video Analytics Software Can Help Decrease Theft, Increase Efficiency and Optimize Workflow at Your Facility.

First, let’s look at what Video Analytics Software is.

In a nutshell, video analytics software tracks video data recorded by cameras and enables automated monitoring of people, vehicles and objects within a camera’s view.

This is a powerful toll you can add to your integrated security arsenal. It transforms visuals collected by your camera system into influential data you can use to improve functionality at your building/facility.

To better illustrate how this works let’s walk through an example.

Picture a manufacturing or distribution center with high volumes of product and a few key issues they need to address:

1. Theft: Items are mysteriously disappearing from the warehouse.
2. Shipping & Receiving Issues: trucks are forced to wait in line to access delivery bays which causes unnecessary expense.
3. Liability: due to employee incidents (dropped pallets, forklift related accidents and other damages), insurance premiums are rising.

This building originally wanted cameras so that they could have an eye on activities in the warehouse. This is a great first step – but as you know, having the recordings doesn’t mean you have a way to use them for positive change at the facility.

Honeywell’s Video Analytics Software: Active Alert®

Honeywell cameras were installed at designated locations but to truly add value and solve the issues the management team faced, Honeywell’s video analytic software Active Alert® was also installed to begin tracking patterns and monitoring activity at the warehouse.

Within the first month, the Honeywell Active Alert® detects several trends in the facility. Once these trends were identified, management adjusted:

1. Theft: Facility managers designated high volume/traffic areas for camera placement. After compiling data, the source of theft was identified as pallets leaving the facility via pickup trucks after hours. By setting alarms and configuring the analytics software, any time a pickup truck approached the docks after pickup/delivery hours, an alarm sounded. The trend was identified and the culprits were caught.
2. Shipping & Receiving issues: the operations team decided on checkpoints and installed cameras along the routes into their shipping and receiving areas. After compiling data, it became clear that drivers weren’t taking the shortest routes in and out of the facility which led to backups and confusion. The operations team invested in signs to help drivers get in and out of the facility quicker and reduced waiting time and charges by over 40%.
3. Liability: The warehouse management staff knew they had to address forklift incidents. Cameras were installed and new routes/directional guidelines were implemented for movement in the warehouse. Additionally, employees were fined or rewarded for their incident records. At first, drivers incurred fines but word spread and within the first 9 months of tracking movements, the facility was able to lower its insurance rates because they had documentation of decreased incident/injury rates.

This warehouse knew it needed cameras. The management team knew they needed to prohibit theft, fix the shipping & receiving backups and lower their insurance premiums. Because this facility chose to work with a team of professional security experts, they got a solution that provided value well beyond recording equipment.

If you’d like to discuss your security concerns and how integrated security enhancements can provide real ROI, give us a call at the office.

To learn more about Honeywell’s Active Alert® video analytics software, find more information Here.

And for a more in depth view on how Honeywell’s Active Alert® works in relation to warehousing and distribution centers specifically, take a look here.

The post How Integrated Security and Video Analytics Software Can Help Decrease Theft, Increase Efficiency and Optimize Workflow at Your Facility appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Intel just can't seem to catch a break.� By now, almost everyone has heard about the dreaded Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities which have been plaguing the chip maker since they were first discovered.� Now, it seems there's a new chip-based threat.

This latest threat has been dubbed PortSmash by the research team from the Tampere University of Technology in Finland and the Technical University of Havana, in Cuba who jointly discovered it.� It works by abusing a weakness in Intel's Hyper-Threading technology, which is Intel's implementation of SMT (Simultaneous Multi Threading).

The researchers had this to say about the attack:

"We recently discovered a new CPU microarchitecture attack vector.� The nature of the leakage is due to execution engine sharing on SMT (e.g., Hyper-Threading) architecture.

More specifically, we detect port contention to construct a timing side channel to exfiltrate information from processes running in parallel on the same physical core."

In plain English, the vulnerability allows hackers to run a PortSmash process alongside a selected process running on the same CPU core. In doing so, the ProtSmash process can spy on that application and even lift data from it as desired by the hackers.

The team released a proof of concept on Github and demonstrated their ability to steal private decryption keys.

So far, the team has confirmed that the exploit works on Intel's Skylake and Kaby Lake processors, but there's strong circumstantial evidence that with modifications, the exploit would work on other chipsets as well, including those developed by rival AMD.

The reason for this is because the researchers believe SMT to be fundamentally flawed. It shares resources between two CPU instances while not providing any form of security differentiators between the two instances.

The research team responsibly reported the flaw to Intel, but the company did not respond in a timely manner, so the team published their findings, which prompted action by Intel.� The company released a security patch on November 1.

�

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