Genetec showcased latest advances in IP license plate recognition, video surveillance and access control technology at ASIS 2012

At the ASIS trade show and conference, Genetec, a pioneer in the physical security industry and a leading provider of world-class unified IP security solutions, showcased the latest advances in its unified security platform, Security Center, which blends license plate recognition (LPR), video surveillance and access control into one easy-to-use platform. Show attendees had the opportunity to climb aboard Genetec's AutoVu Demonstration Vehicle to experience the state-of-the-art in mobile license plate recognition technology, while driving around the streets of Philadelphia. 

The newest version of Security Center introduces a host of new features designed to further enhance security events and video monitoring, simplify the system's operation, streamline upgrades and maintenance activities, and help users easily monitor the health of their entire security platform. Also featured in Security Center is Plan Manager, an advanced map-based interface that allows users to create a virtual environment from maps, floor plans, or GIS (geographic information system) maps for all types of sites including cities, neighbourhoods, airports, campuses, industrial sites, and buildings. With Plan Manager, each video surveillance entity (cameras, sensors, doors, alarms, etc.) is represented on the map by an icon. Operators can simply click on these icons to trigger actions such as 'show a camera', 'lock a door', 'execute a macro', 'turn off an alarm', etc.

Security Center also features the latest in mobile applications allowing organisations to equip their security personnel with an Apple® iPod touch®, iPhone®, iPad®, RIM BlackBerry® or Android™ Smartphones so that they can monitor and control their security operations over any wireless network, while on the move. At this year’s ASIS, Genetec will demonstrate video playback on smartphones, as well as streaming video from smartphones back to the Security Center for live viewing and recording. Security Center Mobile also features the industry's first platform-independent, universal web client for video, access control, and license plate recognition. The unified web client allows customers to connect back to their platform to view live video streams, control PTZ cameras, configure aspects of their access control and LPR systems, and run reports from most web browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer®, Mozilla Firefox®, Google Chrome®, and Apple Safari®.

Show attendees who were interested in experiencing the latest advances in mobile License Plate Recognition technology were able to sign up to drive around the streets of Philadelphia in the Genetec Demonstration Vehicle, a fully equipped Dodge Charger featuring AutoVu, Genetec's innovative LPR system. AutoVu automatically collects vehicle license plates and alerts the user of issues or infractions and offers a perfect solution for wanted vehicle identification, mobile license plate inventory, or for permit and/or time-limit parking enforcement.

Inside the car, on a ruggedized laptop installed for driver use,  was the AutoVu Patroller, a highly mobile, easy to use software designed to automate the verification of vehicle license plates. On the car's body there were several AutoVu SharpX IP-based LPR cameras. Specifically designed for mobile applications, the SharpX IP on-vehicle camera is one of the smallest high-resolution LPR cameras in the world. It provides images with two to three times higher resolution than most other LPR cameras on the market and results in extremely accurate license plate read rates – even in bad weather, at poor angles, and at high speeds. 

The trunk of the car housed the AutoVu LPR Processing Unit and Security Center which provided the back-office management capabilities of the system so that in-vehicle users are able to download all the latest hotlists and updates. The in-vehicle patroller application allows users to review all data collected throughout the day while the Security Center operator can monitor reads from all vehicles in the back-end. Wirelessly, or at the end of a shift, all data collected can be synchronized with the organization's central Security Center system for ongoing analysis.