Marketing and advertising professionals are responsible for driving sales revenue and enhancing visitor satisfaction. To improve the customer experience and drive more sales, retailers often strive to have more visibility into customer behaviors. In order to do that, they need accurate customer demographic insights and data-driven strategies to optimize the visitor experience. Video analytics platforms can be used to gather crucial business intelligence regarding visitor footfall and demographic patterns, so that marketing and advertising professionals can improve the shopper experience, use space more efficiently, and optimize the property layout in ways that benefit marketers and – ultimately – guests and customers. Uncover Demographic Intelligence in Video Video analytics should be used by retailers to gather accurate demographic statistics, such as, what percentage of customers are male versus female, or adults versus children? Analyzing this information can help marketers and advertisers build effective, targeted campaigns for audiences that already visit the store, as well as attract new visitors. Whether managing one property or several stores, marketing and advertising professionals can analyze the demographic data at each location or across multiple sites. These demographic insights can help determine the most effective marketing and advertising strategies to reach target audiences, assess the success of marketing and advertising campaigns, and identify new potential audiences. Say a big box retailer with hundreds of sites across the country adds video analytics to their toolbox of audience segmentation and analysis. In doing so, they discover that a much higher percentage of men are visiting their stores than they had thought in the northeast region. With those insights, they can then create a thoughtful campaign targeted towards men in that area. Or conversely, work to understand why more men aren’t visiting their stores in other areas and create campaigns based on their findings. Quantifiable, actionable business intelligence guides marketing and advertising professionals’ decisions about which messages and products are most relevant for their visitors and where to spend marketing and advertising dollars to maximize their return on investment. Track Footfall to Drive Visitor Experience Marketing and advertising professionals can use video analysis platforms to aggregate video data to track onsite foot traffic volume, show navigational shopper patterns via visual heatmaps, and average customer dwell times as well as unique, bounce, and return visits to specific locations. Using that data, retailers can assess whether in-store hotspots due to are popular items or displays, or traffic bottlenecks. This business intelligence can not only help the store optimize site layout so that traffic flows easily, but it is invaluable for making data-driven decisions about where to place advertisements and displays to enhance customer experiences and encourage return visits to the store. Additionally, insights like people-count reports can indicate the average number of people in a checkout counter queue on certain days of the week, certain holidays, or time of day. This information can help marketing and advertising professionals make critical decisions about when to launch or refresh campaigns. Build Brand Loyalty through Enhanced Experiences The in-store experience has a strong influence on customer loyalty and retention and, therefore, in-store analytics are critical for managing personalized and enhanced experiences. From crowd and queue management – enabled by real-time people-count alerting and dashboards for uncovering trends – as well as visibility into sales associate activity and engagement, marketers can better understand the in-store experience and optimize it through data-driven strategies. Data from people-count reports can be correlated with point-of-sale systems and sales data to identify in-store shopping cart abandonment. By translating video metadata into business intelligence dashboards and visualizations, marketers and advertisers can work to understand the cause for abandonment and work to counteract that with targeted in-store displays and campaigns. Analyzing unique, return and bounced visit rates can help marketers understand what displays and advertisements draw interest, encourage a customer to enter the store and – through correlating visitor statistics with point of sale data – ultimately drive conversions.

The new FLEXIDOME panoramic 5100i cameras combine 360-degree overviews with actionable insights for wide-area coverage applications, without any blind spots. The new FLEXIDOME panoramic 5100i camera range includes indoor and outdoor IR models offering 6- or 12-megapixel resolution with a stereographic fish-eye lens. They take the evolution of AI further by pairing sound with video to elevate situational awareness. A built-in microphone array with three digital microphones prepares the cameras for future audio analytics, enabling operators to gain a complete overview of their monitoring areas and become more proactive in identifying and responding to threats. Like all Bosch cameras, the new panoramic cameras combine built-in AI with the Internet of Things (IoT), offering the ability to convert video data into valuable insights easily. Remote Portal fully supports these AIoT video cameras, enabling system integrators to remotely perform services for customers such as changing configuration settings and installing firmware updates to ensure systems meet the highest reliability standards and support sustainable business practices. Built-in AI supports predictive solutions in a range of environments   The new panoramic cameras feature Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA), a form of AI, and Camera Trainer based on machine learning to support predictive solutions in a variety of commercial environments. In retail applications, the compact size and low profile of the panoramic cameras can deliver insights that help recognize suspicious behavior and track a person through an entire aisle or from the cashier to the store exit. In shopping malls, a single panoramic camera can monitor two opposite storefronts in high resolution. In schools and universities, panoramic cameras can give a complete overview and identify unusual situations in hallways, corridors, cafeterias, and other areas. Taking AI further with audio analytics As the first Bosch cameras to feature audio analytics based on deep neural networks, the FLEXIDOME panoramic 5100i cameras contain a built-in microphone array with three digital microphones to capture audio from any direction. This capability prepares the cameras for future audio AI, enabling them to give meaning to the sounds they hear and trigger relevant alerts concerning the approximate location where the sound originated. The camera’s AI-based software which will become available with a future firmware release is trained to detect the unique audio signatures of gunshots and glass breaking while ignoring false positives, like slamming car doors or banging carts. Audio AI enables security personnel to respond quickly and appropriately while protecting privacy since no audio information is recorded or leaves the camera. At the same time an audio alarm occurs, a trigger to a nearby moving camera prompts it to focus near the sound and automatically track any moving objects in the scene. Thanks to data from audio and video sensors in the FLEXIDOME panoramic 5100i cameras, Bosch takes AI further by converting data into actionable insights that help users anticipate unforeseen events and prevent them from happening.   Complete coverage in a single image without blind spots   By offering a detailed overview image of an area, the panoramic cameras enable users to simultaneously zoom in on an object of interest without losing the bigger picture. The close-up images are transmitted in a separate channel so that both overview and detail can be viewed at the same time – and all in high resolution. With 12-megapixel sensor resolution at a frame rate of 30 frames per second, these cameras provide a 360-degree overview enabling the easy capture of objects to significantly improve the quality of a surveillance operation. Perfect exposure to capture objects of interest is achieved in every situation by Intelligent Auto Exposure. It automatically adjusts the exposure of the camera by dynamically adapting to the changing light conditions to deliver excellent front light and backlight compensation. Ease of installation Designed for easy installation and mounting, the panoramic cameras also offer twist and click installation to reduce installation time. A rotatable imager enables easier alignment. For applications when it’s necessary to look down along the wall, the cameras can be easily mounted and tilted on a wall to achieve a 180-degree view.   A solution built on trust   The FLEXIDOME panoramic 5100i cameras are secure by design. They offer a systematic approach centered on a built-in Secure Element hardware with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) functionality, safely storing all certificates and cryptographic keys needed for authentication and encryption. The approach offers extensive user management to ensure only authorized users have access to data, supports a Public Key Infrastructure set-up, and provides software sealing to detect changes in the cameras’ configuration settings. The Secure Element also supports RSA encryption key lengths of up to 4096 bits, ensuring data safety well beyond 2030. More detail >> https://www.boschsecurity.com        

CENTRALIZING CRITICAL VIDEO INTELLIGENCE For over thirty years, the Brussels Regional Informatics Center (BRIC) has been providing critical IT services throughout the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium, supporting government operations. The BRIC is responsible for developing, installing and maintaining solutions for the area, including business applications, a fiber optics network, data centers and video surveillance infrastructure. In 2014, the Brussels regional government decided to maximize its investments in video and centralize in a single platform the footage from six local police zones; the Metro system; and Bruxelles Mobilité, the organization responsible for maintaining and improving road infrastructure. Until that point, all of these institutions were individually managed by different parties, and the regional government wanted to facilitate streamlined information sharing between these organizations to accelerate response in emergency situations and drive ongoing cooperation. To enable this, in 2015 the BRIC created, piloted and launched the Brussels regional video surveillance platform, integrating the Genetec Security Center Video Management System (VMS) as well as an EMC Isilon storage solution for managing and recording video data from about 2500 cameras. Each of the cooperating organizations then integrated into the Brussels regional video surveillance platform. In so doing, the BRIC essentially transformed each partner dispatching room into a sophisticated security center. Based on individualized access rights and in compliance with GDPR, each operator can manage its organization’s own images, but, when authorized by the Belgian Data Protection Authority, the operator can also access and utilize the shared images sourced from the other parties. Invested in modernizing and maintaining the innovativeness of the regional video platform, the BRIC continually investigates technologies to integrate and meet the evolving needs of the solution’s stakeholders – from the technology operators to the locals benefitting from increased public safety. In 2016, the BRIC started evaluating video content analytics solutions to enhance the platform and quickly identified the BriefCam® video analytics solution as a strategic investment. When the BRIC learned of the many high-profile national security cases worldwide where BriefCam has been a critical investigation driver, the organization was convinced that BriefCam’s video content analytics platform would be the ideal complement to its existing video surveillance investments. TRANSFORMING VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY The BRIC has been gradually expanding its BriefCam implementation over the years as the demand for video analysis to drive accelerated investigations, enhanced situational awareness and real-time response grows throughout the region. Based on Deep Learning and artificial intelligence techniques, BriefCam’s video content analytics platform transforms video into actionable intelligence by analyzing video to detect objects that appear, identify, extract and classify them. Ultimately these objects are indexed, making them searchable, actionable and quantifiable for the organizations involved in the BRIC video project. “BriefCam is an easy-to-use and very powerful solution, which allows police officers to work a lot faster and remain focused,” explains Christian Banken, the Director of the Brussels-Capital Region Video Surveillance Program. While law enforcement cannot disclose specific cases where BriefCam has been applied, the police rely on BriefCam to conserve time and resources and to pinpoint critical evidence for solving investigations. “The police officers using the software feel that they’ve won back time – time they can then invest in other investigation activities, streamlining the whole process of closing a case,” notes Banken. With its extensive data center resources, high server performance and vast storage capacity, the BRIC video platform can easily support BriefCam’s software and leverage it to simultaneously work on multiple investigations.” EMPOWERING INTEGRATION EVOLUTION The BRIC continues to expand its BriefCam implementation, enjoying the solution’s ability to flexibly scale to address changing threats and requirements. Ahead of the regional Real Time Intelligence (RTI) Center roll out, the BRIC already realizes how BriefCam will continue to empower local law enforcement and increase public safety with its real-time alerting functionality based on powerful object detection and customized rule configurations. In the future, BriefCam’s fully embedded Research platform, which aggregates and visualizes the video data collected over time, might be used to deliver critical statistics for driving traffic optimization, such as vehicle types and quantities, directional traffic data and traffic flow insights. With a comprehensive and extensible video analytics solution, the Brussels-Capital Region local government can continue to enhance public safety and empower local law enforcement agencies as its needs and resources evolve. Download the BriefCam Empowers the BRIC with Video Intelligence Case Study (English) Download the BriefCam Empowers the BRIC with Video Intelligence Case Study (French)

Businesses and organizations with multiple sites face various security challenges. From theft and data breaches, to missing persons and medical incidents, retailers, restaurants, hotels and workplaces are among those with unique security needs. However, all could benefit greatly from having their video analytics and intelligence centrally managed at a central hub. By centralizing security management from all sites, these organizations can glean cross-site intelligence and be proactive about their security plans. Through a central hub, businesses with multiple, distributed locations can view aggregate data from all remote sites to uncover trends across locations, boost real-time alerting and optimize operations and response. Quickly review hours of video When a shopping mall is attempting to locate a missing child, the video captured on-site is invaluable. With video analytics, a central security hub can review hours of video from multiple locations within the mall in just minutes to rapidly pinpoint objects of interest. Video content analytics software powered by deep learning and artificial intelligence is able to identify, classify and index objects in surveillance video footage. This enables those managing the central hub to conduct filtered searches based on criteria such as gender, clothing type and color, direction of travel, and more. A video analytics operator can create a digital watchlist that contains a still photo or video image of the missing person to drive live alerts when a potential match for that face is detected, as well as filtered searches of archived video footage to locate where and when that missing person was last seen on the premises. The information that the central hub provides can help mall security guards as well as local law enforcement accelerate their investigation by giving them descriptors of what to be on the lookout for and in what general direction or area. Following the incident, the mall’s parent company can study the on-site response and use that information to enhance their overall training and safety procedures at all locations. Leverage advanced analytics for real-time notifications Through video analytics, organizations can receive real-time alert notifications from across all locations, as well as visualize business intelligence from multiple sites into centralized dashboards. Real-time alert notifications can be configured to notify the hub manager when a person or object appears in frame at a designated time. Banks often have multiple branches across a region or even the country. Given the nature of their sensitive and secure business, banks could leverage a video analytics hub to trigger alerts that brings relevant events to the forefront. For instance, a rule-based real-time alert could be configured to tell the hub manager when there are a certain number of people in the vault, or if they are there before or after business hours. These types of alerts allow for the quick review and accurate assessment of events. Derive insights for data-driven decision making While organizations need the ability to record video locally on-site, they also seek to gain valuable insights through advanced video analytics across sites. By using a central hub to manage their video surveillance and analytics, a chain of restaurants that has experienced robberies at multiple locations can compare insights and make necessary improvements. Did those robberies have anything in common? By analyzing the data, they find that many of their stores have poorly lit doorways therefore enabling individuals to access fairly unnoticed. This can help the restaurant chain make physical improvements, like installing motion-sensor lighting. Accidents and medical incidents are not uncommon occurrences. Although video surveillance may capture some incidents, manual forensic video review is time-consuming and can be error prone. Video analytics technology enables a central hub to review video footage rapidly and accurately across multiple cameras and filter video to pinpoint relevant objects in video. A resort guest may have been found alone and unresponsive; with the use of filters, video analytics can quickly identify when that person experienced a medical episode and therefore unlock clues to what happened. By examining and comparing medical incidents across multiple resorts, the hotel chain can make operational decisions to enhance their response like, adding more AED devices around the property or making sure secluded areas are checked often. Similarly, workplaces experiencing accidents can use video analytics to determine the root cause of the accidents and therefore change their practices to avoid in the future or enhance their training programs.

WORLD SERIES EVENT REQUIRES WORLD CLASS SAFETY The Little League Baseball® World Series (LLBWS) hosts youth athletes, volunteer coaches and spectators from around the world for the annual premier youth sporting event. For more than 70 years, the Little League® program has instilled hard work, sportsmanship and dedication that is matched only by the determination and commitment of the players and coaches. The event has grown to host more than 300,000 people over 10 days and is televised on ABC and the ESPN network family. Nestled in the small town of Williamsport, Pa., the 75-acre Little League World Series Complex hosts attendees from around the world as 16 teams of 10-to-12-year-old baseball players compete for the title, make new friends and enjoy time with their families. The complex includes two stadiums, a museum, parking, concessions, a gift shop, sponsor booths, a concourse pavilion, and a media center — not to mention security and medical facilities. The Dr. Creighton J. Hale International Grove houses the players and includes dining recreation halls. There are also a number of practice fields and batting cages for the teams’ use between games. It all adds up to a large, dynamic area that requires world class security teams and technologies. In addition to the security personnel, volunteers and local, state and federal agencies, Little League International deploys an integrated video surveillance and intelligence technology solution to keep everyone safe and operations moving smoothly. “Providing a safe and enjoyable environment for our teams and spectators at the Little League Baseball World Series is crucial,” said Brian McClintock, Senior Director of Communications for Little League International. “A big part of that effort is ensuring that we are working with technology partners such as BriefCam® that provide us with the ability to monitor the entire complex so we can analyze and respond to incidents quickly and efficiently A WINNING TEAM OF TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS This year BriefCam, a leader in comprehensive video analysis and Deep Learning solutions, teamed up with the Little League Baseball World Series to deliver entry and checkpoint security alerts and operational efficiency insights at key traffic and retail locations. The BriefCam Video Content Analytics platform, seamlessly integrated directly into the Milestone Systems XProtect Smart Client, enabled the security operators to seamlessly transform the video data from the more than 150 Axis Communications cameras positioned across the grounds into actionable intelligence. The BriefCam solution was installed on dedicated hardware provided by Rasilient, and the Little League security staff were trained to use the solution effectively. Additionally, BriefCam was on hand for support throughout the event. Empowered by BriefCam’s fully integrated, intelligent video solution, the LLBWS could detect, track, extract and identify people, objects, their attributes and behavior from raw video feeds, based on artificial intelligence and Deep Learning techniques BRIEFCAM ON DECK Over the course of the series, BriefCam’s Video Content Analytics (VCA) solution was used to process 1,700 hours of video footage which was used to help to ensure players, teams, staff and spectators were safe and had a positive experience all tournament long. Delivering comprehensive video intelligence, BriefCam allowed Little League staff to dynamically trigger real-time alerts based on object detection and face recognition technologies; quickly review video for accelerated analysis and investigation; and visualize aggregated video data for trend analysis. BriefCam’s RESPOND capability enhances real-time situational awareness with dynamic alerts based on object identification and face recognition. This artificial intelligence-driven technology triggers real-time notifications when specific user-defined criteria is met, at which point qualified security personnel can quickly assess and determine the appropriate response. Leveraged to monitor video, identify objects of interest and match faces from a suspect watchlist, BriefCam’s platform was used at more than a dozen Little League Baseball World Series Complex entry points to ensure no possible offenders were on the tournament grounds. Fortunately, no individuals on the compiled watchlist were identified on the premises at any point over the course of the event. In addition to identifying specific people and objects, the platform was configured to trigger alerts to security staff any time individuals were seen to be displaying pre-defined inappropriate behaviors. This allowed the team to proactively intercept any possible issues as they developed. PROVIDING A SECURITY BACKSTOP Of course, not every public safety threat can be identified proactively and preventatively, and BriefCam’s innovative forensic solutions were also critical investigation enablers for the LLBWS. The security team relied on BriefCam’s REVIEW capability to rapidly review video and accelerate the identification of people and objects of interest in the aftermath of a security incident. One key application for the LLBWS was reuniting parents and children who were accidentally separated in a moving crowd: By making surveillance video searchable, BriefCam accelerates video investigation and object identification, ensuring missing persons can be reunited quickly with their parties. The LLBWS also relied on BriefCam’s innovative VIDEO SYNOPSIS® technology, which makes it possible to review hours of video in minutes by simultaneously presenting objects that have appeared at different times within the video. This important security advantage enables investigative teams to quickly understand incidents and identify persons, objects or behaviors of interest – especially at the onset of an investigation before the incident is full understood or a suspect is identified. With these robust security resources, the LLBWS gained a competitive edge in the face of developing public safety threats. DELIVERING FAST CHANGEUP Beyond security, the Little League Baseball World Series team used BriefCam’s RESEARCH solution to optimize operations such as attendee and vehicle traffic flows and help ensure a safe and positive experience for teams and fans. BriefCam’s Deep Learning technology allows users to visualize and quantify different classifications of vehicles and visitors, discover their movement patterns, identify hotspots, maximize space utilization, and optimize traffic flows. This year, the BriefCam solution was configured to issue RESPOND alerts any time larger than anticipated crowds congregated in certain areas. This allowed the event organizers to be quickly prepared with adequate personnel to greet and support the visitors. Improved response to crowds also allowed the team to immediately improve the flow and security so that visitors had a more enjoyable and safe experience. TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK With BriefCam and its partners in the security line up, the security and event staff were well prepared to handle any potential security issues as well as improve traffic. “Every year, we work to up our security game at the Little League Baseball World Series,” said Samantha Mahaffey, Security Manager for Little League International. “The technology team we assembled for the 2019 tournament was our most advanced to date and hit a home run for us in helping to ensure participants and players are able to focus on enjoying America’s favorite past-time, without having to worry about being safe.” “The Little League World Series is a great tradition that requires the best security solution so that players, families and fans can enjoy the event worry free,” said Stephanie Weagle, CMO, BriefCam. “We are pleased that our technology was so valuable in creating a safe environment and enjoyable experience all tournament long.” IDENTIFYING SWEET SPOTS BriefCam’s Video Content Analytics platform also helped the Little League Baseball World Series event staff gather insights about the activity at event retail locations. With 80,000 people visiting the Third Base Gift Shop over the course of the event, BriefCam revealed new data that helped them to improve the shopping experience, such as where shoppers lingered for longer durations or the objects with which they interacted. The platform identified previously undetected trends such as which areas of the store shoppers spent their time and where bottlenecks could be avoided. With more than 5,000 visitors per hour, understanding shopping behavior was key to creating a relaxing and fun experience. Download the BriefCam Delivers Video Analytics for 2019 Little League Baseball® World Series Case Study

The development of video technology according to Bosch in 2020 Today, security is much more than creating a safe environment. Of course, the protection of people and property remain top priorities, but the Internet of Things (IoT) and increasing connectivity are changing and expanding the role of security devices. Built-in intelligence and customizable solutions on an open platform   The industry needs to understand that security devices have far more potential than simply creating a safe and secure environment. These devices are sensors in a grid, able to provide valuable data that can be analyzed and used in new, beneficial ways. To take full advantage of this, the security and safety industry must be ready for change. Bosch is leading by example. Since 2016, Bosch has offered built-in Video Analytics as standard on all its IP cameras. In 2020, Bosch will launch INTEOX – a new camera platform designed to modernize the market. Powerful systems start with built-in intelligence as standard. Besides protecting people and property, future-facing video security solutions need to deliver a parallel performance as intelligent sensors with the ability to extract invaluable data. Onboard Video Analytics acts as the 'brains' of a security system, using metadata to add sense and structure to captured video footage. This enables cameras to understand what they’re seeing and alert if there are threats the moment they happen. These insights help businesses to improve safety, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and create new value beyond security. The next step in building powerful and efficient systems is the ability to tailor Video Analytics or security solutions to meet specific customer requirements. That’s why Bosch added Camera Trainer based on machine learning technology to all its cameras that feature built-in Intelligent Video Analytics. This enables system integrators to tailor Bosch built-in Intelligent Video Analytics to detect objects or situations that matter most to their customers. This fits perfectly in today’s market as there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to protecting people and property or delivering data for business intelligence. Bosch believes that the ability to train the camera is the next logical step in high-end video security. Because the more a video security camera knows and can learn, the more accurately and application-specifically it can function. In 2020 INTEOX will take future solutions to the next level INTEOX is based on an approach that has proven itself successful in the PC and mobile marketplace and where many software and app developers have substantially increased the use and applications for customers and the industry. The INTEOX open platform combines built-in Intelligent Video Analytics from Bosch with superb performance, a commonly used open operating System (OS), and the ability to securely add software apps afterwards. It enables app developers and integration partners to easily develop unlimited software apps based on a common language. System integrators can easily customize their security solutions to meet specific and changing customer requirements by adding apps and deploy them into INTEOX cameras. This is all supported by the highest levels of data security and privacy protection, and the quality and simplicity that comes with working with Bosch. The INTEOX platform will power a completely new line-up of MIC, AUTODOME, FLEXIDOME and DINION fixed and moving cameras.   The customer advantage   By incorporating smart devices with built-in Video Analytics, like regular Bosch IP or INTEOX cameras, into integrated systems, integrators can tailor solutions for different environments. For example, in today’s office buildings Bosch IP cameras ensure that any attempt to enter the area by unauthorized individuals will automatically trigger the Bosch Video Management System to display video of the location at the operator workstation. Data gathered by security devices throughout the office building will display on dashboards, showing all types of information to users – including occupancy, people counts, temperature thresholds, energy usage, and more. Enforcing no parking zones, detecting blocked emergency exits or ensuring no one enters or leaves a building via an emergency exit are all measures that can increase the safety of employees and visitors inside the building. Outside the office building, connected systems can be used to secure perimeters and to use data captured by video sensors to improve traffic flow, parking management, and intersection safety. For example, IP cameras with built-in Video Analytics act as sensors that alert to safety risks such as wrong way drivers and by detecting pedestrians in the road, as well as counting open parking spaces. After hours, set alarm rules can detect a person approaching a perimeter fence or loitering around the premises and automatically alert security personnel of the discovery. This helps users keep vehicles and people moving safely and efficiently while gathering information on surrounding roadways and parking lots for data-driven decision-making. As the proliferation of connected devices continues to grow, we must anticipate how this will change customer requirements and preferences. Extending security devices beyond their standard uses helps users address the challenges they face in their businesses and organizations. This approach will help to shape the future of security – one where the security department can make the transition from a pure cost center to a profit center.