The Brave New World?

Already in several US cities, Comcast Corporation provides cable television services combined with the security and control of "smart homes", under the name of Xfinity Home Security. Signals from home sensors (of motion, smoke, glass break, etc.) and images from surveillance cameras arrive, thanks to wireless transmission, to the home control unit and then are sent to the data center in Colorado. The transmission between the sensors and the control unit is based on the ZigBee protocol which, specially designed for such applications, does not interfere with wireless (WiFi) devices.

Depending on the system settings, some of the data is stored on servers in the data center, other part is analyzed by special software, and some of the information or images may also be sent to the smartphone of the home's owner. The video recordings are stored on the service provider servers for 30 days.

The system can be used for remote control of home appliances and the lighting, heating, etc. It can also be programmed in a more sophisticated way, for example, if a child does not come back home by the programmed time (does not insert the key into the lock), the parent will receive a message on his/her phone. So the users can create their own applications, with the help of the supplied software.

According to Mitch Bowling, SVP and GM of New Businesses in Comcast Cable, responsible for the Xfinity Home Security project, the system is safe due to the encryption of data. It is impossible that a hacker could view video channels or open the locks. However, all data stored on the server can be made available to the relevant authorities, with the consent of the court.

The cost of maintaining such a system consists of the following elements:

• installation fee - $199,
• sensors - $70 per one item,
• security cameras - $150 per one item,
• monthly service fee for video monitoring and recording - $5,
• monthly service subscription (depending on the number of devices) - $29.,95 to $39.95.

Similar services have been launched by Verizon Wireless and Time Warner. This year, Google is to start another project, based on the already introduced "Android@Home" framework for home automation and open source applications for control of electrical and electronic devices from mobile phones.
An example of such an application is the Homebuddy utility which communicates with a controller, e.g. Vera Z-Wave, via the Internet or Ethernet network to switch on/off power, adjust temperature, control various devices.

"Homebuddy" in action

 

Google wants to go one step further and create Smart Home system based on cloud computing, similarly to Comcast. Devices such as Vera Z-Wave controller would send information to a central server processing it in order to optimize the performance of the building. The user would only configure the system, also through a web browser or Android smartphone, without a need to adjust the parameters.

Google project would perform more sophisticated operations than just switching on/ off home appliances, for example, it could assist the user in shopping by sending on their smartphone a list of products lacking in the refrigerator or after expiration date.

The idea of ​​smart homes has been known since the 70s of last century and is derived from the automation of industrial production, of which some aspects, brought to everyday life, might make it easier and more economical.

Until now, a lack of standards for control of home systems and appliances, problems of external control arising from connectivity issues and the high cost of data processing - caused that the installation expenses were high and the benefits low. Cloud computing technology can change this situation and accelerate the development of smart homes.

A new dimension of the Internet and more - a review of the year 2012

In which direction is the market heading? What technologies are most likely to succeed? We present five, most important technological trends that have been discussed in our Newsletters and, according to us, will be growing in the next years.

1. Internet of Things - the nervous system of our planet

Internet of Things (IoT) is a vision in which everyday objects communicate with each other and the users via the Internet, infrared, and radio waves. Appropriately programmed devices and appliances will become "intelligent", eliminating many of the chores consuming our time - the fridge will organize shopping of food products, the air conditioning system will adjust to environmental conditions based on local weather data etc. The number of possible applications is infinite - the technology implemented "in the background" can penetrate all aspects of our material world. The IoT scope will be limited only by the imagination of the manufacturers.

According to Cisco, IoT was born in 2009, when the number of devices connected to the Internet became higher than the population of people living on Earth. However, the year 2012 initiated a new way of thinking about this potential, both in the case of industry and consumers.

2. Cloud computing

Cloud computing is a model of providing IT solutions and services via the Internet, where client computers have continuous access to resources and computing power of servers around the world. This functionality is defined as a service accessible via web software and the necessary infrastructure, giving the users "added value". This means no need for the users to purchase and manage the extensive versions of the software that should be normally installed on their workstations. The main advantages are cost savings associated with moving the computing power from client computers to the servers, the ease of access to services ("everywhere and on everything"), and improved safety.

3. Touch, gesture and voice control

Touch screen market is growing at a very fast pace, much faster than the market of standard screens. A large part of it make smartphones and tablets, the increasing popularity of touch control interface has been even noticed by Microsoft in its new operating system - Windows 8. The system fully supports modern laptops and tablets equipped with such screens.

Voice control also becomes a standard functionality of many electronic devices. The voice recognition software is constantly developed to improve "understanding". An example is the Siri software from Apple. Such programs are used not only in smartphones. At this year's CES, speech recognition functions were demonstrated in TVs, laptops and additional remote controls.

4. High-speed streaming

LTE/4G networks offer a revolutionary speed of mobile Internet (download rates up to 150 Mbps). This technology allows users ultra-fast access to websites with multimedia and games on the Internet. LTE and popular streaming applications enable them to watch video in a good quality on the go. There are available first smartphones equipped with LTE modems.

5. TV market is moving to the Internet

Streaming of television channels via the Internet instead of using dedicated broadcasting networks ensures openness and versatility - the programming can be received on all devices that allow access the Internet (computers, smartphones, televisions equipped with network cards). The year 2012 was quite revolutionary in this respect - almost every new television had network interface and offered access to video on demand and social networking sites. The introduction of the Internet to TVs is also popularizing such services like HbbTV (Hybrid TV) and "Second Screen" supplementing broadcast content with multimedia applications available on other devices (tablets, smartphones, laptops etc).

Will we observe rapid development of the trends in 2013? Or new ones will emerge, with equally great potential, which may affect the shape of the technology and media industries and even change our daily lives? In today's world we may be sure of that.

Cloud-based video monitoring is gaining popularity.

Securicorp Components Ltd., a UK-based security services company, has launched a monitoring service based on the concept of cloud computing, where the resources, software, and data storage system are available in the cloud. Although cloud video surveillance is a hot subject in the industry, the service is one of the first market offerings for companies and individuals.

The clients will control and manage their systems online, through account usernames and passwords, the video data will be stored on external servers - "in the cloud". The installation and configuration of the IP cameras on site will be as simple as possible - the users don't need to know technical details. To provide the cloud solution, Securicorp has partnered with telecoms, data centers, Internet service providers, and retail companies.

 

So, the whole system of the individual user exists in the virtual world, with automatic update to the latest version and optimization in the background, and surveillance data stored on external servers located outside the monitored facilities. The existence of the system in the form of a flexible digital platform will allow anyone to select features that are really needed, without paying for unnecessary functions.

 

Securicorp and other suppliers of CCTV solutions use ready-made software solutions that allow for the implementation of CCTV in the cloud. The first solution dedicated for ISPs, telecom operators, and security services companies has been offered by NeoVSP. The OVS™ (Online Video Surveillance) belongs to the Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) solutions that minimize the clients' involvement in the network architecture and equipment, usually aside from the cameras. Similar solutions are offered by Iveda Solutions, OzVision, Connexed, iControl.

The change in thinking of CCTV video surveillance a service rather than the physical system opens the door to long-awaited features, including the most expected one: intelligent image analysis. The amount of gathered data, even in medium-sized systems, is so great that also the most modern video monitoring systems have to be treated more as archives than sources of live information. The application of cloud computing technology provides almost unlimited possibilities. It is only a matter of time when IT specialists create algorithms with artificial intelligence techniques allowing for autonomous early detection of real threats.