Smartphones have given a new dimension to the security and surveillance sector, which subsequently has opened new doors of opportunities for manufacturing companies to come up with cameras that not only detect, monitor and record intrusion at your premises but also send you real-time security breach alert and allow you to talk through mobile app with the person at the other end. Oncam, a pioneer in 360-degree camera technology, is taking security and surveillance to the next level, with a varied range of products which cover wide applications across the security-spectrum. Abhishek Kumar, Regional Director, Oncam, speaks more about today’s smart security cameras, technicalities involved and their prospects, in an interaction with Ramesh Kumar Raja. Excerpts:

How smartphones are contributing to the security and surveillance sector in India?

Smartphone has today become critical in nearly all walks of life. It also holds for the security and surveillance segment as it enables customers to access relevant videos in real-time. This remote accessibility makes a smartphone a very effective device for security operations. Such digital devices make it possible to send real-time alerts to relevant stakeholders along with the applicable security feed. The person can then quickly go through the instance to confirm if the event needs attention or not.

At Oncam, we also have smart solutions available on mobile devices that help customers use their IP-driven cameras beyond security processes. These solutions add tangible value across retail and education segments as well.

What are the technicalities involved in this regard?

In reality, the key advantage of using IP cameras is ‘remote viewing’ itself on edge devices. These devices include smartphones along with video walls, desktops and laptops. The technicalities involved are quite dynamic in nature. Primarily, the device must have the capability to execute the video feed with ease while also hosting other functions of the application. It must further have a strong network connection, which is not always the case. Secondly, since a smartphone is an end-point device, the chances of a malware breach are quite high. There needs to be a robust cybersecurity framework in place that resolves such instances.

Artificial Intelligence has come up as a major development in imaging solutions. How is AI helpful in security cameras?

AI, coupled with IP-based cameras, has brought about a paradigm change wherein the manual monitoring of video feeds is largely done away with. It has eliminated human-related errors, omissions and negligence that were previously some of the major teething troubles in operations. Using AI and Machine Learning, leading-edge surveillance solutions can identify critical instances such as unauthorized entry, aggression, violence, fire and vandalism alongside others. It has also made it possible to unlock the power of surveillance for Business Intelligence features like footfall monitoring. It makes AI a force to reckon with in the field of security and surveillance.

What are the advancements we are going to see in the coming times?

In the future, we can see interesting developments around VR technology and how it can be integrated with surveillance processes. For instance, a 360-degree camera coupled with VR technology as well as surround sound can make security professionals more functional during critical events. It can completely transform the large-scale security initiatives and eliminate the dependency on multiple screens as video walls.

Can you please tell us about the products that Oncam makes and how have been their response?

At present, Oncam has 10 cameras as a part of its Evolution range and 2 cameras as a part of its newly-launched C-Series. Through our Oncam C-12 camera, we extend industry-leading frame rates with 55 fps at a full 9 MP resolution. We have further lowered the bandwidth and storage by an average of 50% on both H.264 and H.265 streams. This figure goes up to 90% when there is no motion in the frame. An additional 20% can be saved using ColorMap Compression. The TrueDetail HDR also recovers the lost details across dark and bright areas while producing clearer, full-colour, and lower noise videos through Advanced Light Management Technology.

The response has been amazing since we considerably limit the number of cameras deployed with our 360-degree and 180-degree devices. We process the video feeds coming via them using our 360-degree panorama and Dewarping techniques to provide clear 180-degree and 360-degree videos to our customers.

How Oncam is leveraging the latest security technologies for its customers amidst the Coronavirus outbreak?

Surveillance cameras play a part in protecting staff and premises and ensure that correct guidelines are followed from remote. As such, they are particularly useful in times like these when government guidelines are asking us to socially distance and continue working from home.

How important is India as a market for you? Do you have any expansion plan to venture into other countries?

We see India as a major economic center. By the end of this decade, India will be one of the major global hubs for wide-ranging market segments. Oncam has continuously expanded in the market by launching its feature-intensive, vertical-specific solutions. We have further created a robust channel ecosystem wherein we go the extra mile to train our sales and service partners. Exercise even helps our customers better understand the benefits of our solutions.

What’s your opinion about the forthcoming 5G technology in India, especially with regard to the security and surveillance solutions?

5G technology has a response time of 1 millisecond, which is 100-200 times lower than the same of 4G technology. It can also accommodate 1 million devices in just 1 square kilometer vis-à-vis 500 square kilometers needed in the 4G technology. It will dramatically improve the capabilities of security and surveillance solutions.