Video Monitoring Service Increases Performance & Revenue

CCTV services provider Spyke Security monitors video feed from over 1,500 cameras installed at facilities throughout the Netherlands. The company offers a wide range of services of video monitoring including remote guarding of large facilities that suffer from theft and vandalism, as well as virtual access services (remote opening of doors, gates and fences), guarding, and more.

With an ever-growing camera count, Spyke Security sought an automated video monitoring solution that would increase their capability to expand and better manage the number of monitored sites while maintaining existing staff levels and not raising operational costs.

Always driven by innovation, Spyke Security became an early adopter of Irisity’s new generation of video analytics powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) when, in 2017, they added innoVi Remote Guarding software as a service (SaaS) to their service offering.

innoVi Remote Guarding is Irisity’s cloud-based video analytics service that delivers accurate, automatic, real-time detections of security breaches at remote sites with immediate video verification. innoVi’s unique, centrally managed architecture provides high availability, flexible deployment and scalability across multiple geographies, with full redundancy and failover capabilities.

Connecting to the innoVi service via a standard web-browser required only minimal setup and configuration. Within minutes, hundreds of cameras were innoVi-enabled across multiple locations for 24/7 security monitoring, connecting seamlessly to the existing alarm automation system via innoVi Edge appliances, without the need to replace or add any equipment. innoVi Edge supports all fixed IP ONVIF/RTSP cameras, converting them instantly into “Smart” devices.

Operators then configured real-time rules to issue alerts upon detection of security and safety breaches involving target objects such as cars, bicycles, motorcycles, trucks, people. Specific rule schedules were tailored for customer scenarios including detection of intrusions at construction sites and business parks after hours, suspicious behavior at government buildings, people loitering at schools, shopping malls, parking lots, and more.

innoVi employs a new generation of AI-based algorithms utilizing Deep Learning techniques to power video analytics that is easier to use, more flexible, and with a far higher grade of performance.

“Spyke Security chose innoVi because it gives our video alarm center operators the right warning at the right moment,” said Piet Sleurink, Director. Sleurink further noted innoVi’s easy configurability, low maintenance cost, high uptime, regular and ongoing updates, as well as the flexibility afforded by the centrally managed service.

The software’s algorithms, trained on millions of images from real-life surveillance footage, enable unprecedented detection accuracy. When the software detects a suspicious target, Spyke Security’s monitoring center receives a notification. Operators watch the live footage, as well as review a clip of the detection generated by innoVi. The situation is then assessed, and action is taken, if necessary.

“We’re very satisfied with the AI technology employed by innoVi. In our experience, innoVi has excellent accuracy coupled with a low false alarm rate (FAR) and works well in a variety of weather conditions including extreme weather such as rain and snow.”

innoVi’s real-time detections of security and safety breaches have introduced a new level of preventative monitoring and action at Spyke Security. According to Sleurink: “The power of proactive detection lies in the time savings offered by early-stage incident detection. When suspects are detected loitering around a premises before they have actually broken in, it means that we can address the suspects through speakers, and they often flee. Also, the police have 5-10 minutes more to catch the suspect. These crucial moments may prevent damage because action can be taken before the crime occurs.”

innoVi has brought multiple suspicious situations to the attention of Spyke Security control room operators. In one case, the company was hired to provide round-the-clock security for an impressive installation called “Stairway to Heaven” at the Great Church of Alkmaar. A temporary framework comprising a four-story high staircase and bridge enabled visitors to climb up to the spire to enjoy the view from a height of 40 meters, as well as see, close-up, a magnificent “Last Judgement” painted on the church’s vaulted ceiling.

The site was open during daylight hours only. When two tipsy trespassers tried sneaking up the stairs one night, despite the low light conditions, innoVi quickly detected and sent an alert in real-time to the control room, providing video verification of the intruders whose “Stairway to Heaven” quickly went the other way when the police arrived.

At the new location of a prestigious car importer, innoVi detected a nighttime intruder breaking into the premises. “When the intruder climbed over the fence, our monitoring center immediately received a detection alert from innoVi. We notified the security team and police. Before they arrived, we live-monitored the intruder and provided the emergency services with real-time information. The police arrived in time to arrest the thief.”

“This is a good example of our vision for security,” Sleurink stated. “Video intelligence enables us to take action at the earliest possible stage.”

In the case of a construction yard that was being used as an unofficial teen hangout, innoVi’s intrusion detection capability instantly alerted Spyke Security operators to a group of intruders entering the secured zone. Guards were dispatched within minutes and escorted the group off the premises.

The modern innoVi architecture provides 24/7 network and camera health monitoring, software upgrades, and system maintenance, as well as built-in cybersecurity, with automatic cyber-software updates, centralized user authentication, and GDPR-ready controls for better data management.

innoVi’s centralized management can scale from small to large camera counts seamlessly, without system redesign, and can connect to any ONVIF/RTSP-compliant fixed IP camera. This freedom of choice and the flexible subscription program, combined with innoVi’s immediate turn-on time for new sites, enables Spyke Security to add more customers seamlessly with no service downtime, no system redesign, and zero sales administration.

Furthermore, innoVi enables more sites to be monitored and an increased level of security, without requiring an increase in the number of security staff. “We’ve detected multiple incidents and suspicious situations due to Irisity’s technology,” said Piet Sleurink. “The excellent ease of use gives us more time to focus on other things. In addition, innoVi has enabled us to grow our customer base without the need to increase spending on personnel or IT resources.”

Irisity’sVP Sales EMEA & APAC, Ariel Frischoff said, “Unlike traditional central alarm monitoring centers using legacy perimeter intrusion detection systems, Spyke Security has, from the outset, focused on IP video monitoring. They consistently seek out cutting-edge technologies with the aim of enhancing detection accuracy and minimizing operational costs. Today, Spyke Security and their customers benefit from the state-of-the-art performance of innoVi’s advanced AI-based platform, along with the ease of implementation, configuration and ongoing support provided by our cloud-based service.”