Today Qognify, the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for physical security and enterprise incident management, set a new standard for video management systems (VMS) with the launch of Ocularis 6.0. Available now, the release includes map-driven operation and a bi-directional interface enabling security operators to monitor and respond to incidents faster by removing the need to switch between several systems. Ocularis 6.0 also benefits from Qognify’s cross-product research and development, incorporating more robust automatic updates, improved video sharing, camera, and security upgrades.
Map-driven operation is becoming the new standard for VMS systems and Ocularis 6.0 rises to this standard by providing operators with the capability to retrieve and visualize status information from other security systems, such as access control and intrusion detection. Additionally, a new bi-directional interface enables access points to be controlled directly from Ocularis, with plugins available for third-party access control systems. These advancements eliminate the need to switch from the VMS to the access control system, speeding up the response while maintaining focus on the developing scene, whether that is ensuring a safe exit path in the event of a fire, halting the progress of an intruder, or assisting with crowd control.
Jeffrey Swaim, Director of Channel Sales and National Accounts at Qognify, comments: “Ocularis 6.0 will provide our partners with capabilities that align our end-users’ outcomes with state-of-the-art technology. This customer-focused approach will be instrumental for Qognify and our partners in expanding our footprint in key vertical markets, where Ocularis is strong, such as K-12, State and Local Government and Healthcare.”
A challenge for many surveillance operations is dealing with the high number of requests for camera footage by law enforcement agencies for use in investigations. With Ocularis 6.0, operators can quickly create an ‘evidence story’ extracted from the recordings of multiple cameras (if required). Using the new one-file video export function, the footage is readily available for sharing in a single compressed and secure file. To ensure sensitive and confidential information isn’t disclosed when handling CCTV requests from the public, Ocularis includes a masking feature, to easily block content within the footage, so it isn’t visible in the exported file. Ari Robinson, Head of Ocularis Product Management, adds: “We are supporting our customers in achieving the highest standards of privacy where it is required and use the strictest data protection regulation in the world as a benchmark.”
Qognify is committed to improving system performance and security. To this end, Ocularis 6.0 has received an upgrade to its Auto Updater functionality, making it more powerful and clearly showing the update status of the entire system. The technology, developed by Qognify and used across its video management portfolio, ensures that customers with a valid Support & Maintenance Agreement (SMA) can keep their VMS up-to-date and benefit from newest camera technology. The security level of the platform has also been hardened with multi-factor authentication capabilities, using Cisco Duo for logging into the Qognify Web Client, enhanced password encryption, the ability to change camera passwords and an automatic log-off feature (based on a duration of inactivity), which supports HIPAA compliance and minimizes the risk of unauthorized access.
There is also good news for organizations using Immervision 360° cameras: Ocularis 6.0 now remembers dewarped locations and automatically loads preferences, making manually re-positioning cameras at every login a thing of the past. Qognify is also providing consistency across its entire VMS portfolio, with Ocularis 6.0 now being ONVIF G compliant.
Robinson concludes: “The new additions and improvements introduced in Ocularis 6.0 are a further demonstration of Qognify’s research and development strength. We’re able to draw on innovations developed across our entire video management portfolio to bring new innovations to market, setting a new standard in VMS.”
Availability
Ocularis 6.0 is now available from Qognify. Current customers with a valid SMA can already download and install the update.
Qognify – the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for physical security and enterprise incident management – today anounced the launch of the Cayuga R16 video management system (VMS). The latest update focuses on improvements for the beating heart of large physical security environments – the Control Room. Cayuga R16 makes it easier for security staff to react, with new features and functionality including Advanced Maps, Patrol in Tiles and Dynamic Camera Layouts, delivering a more comprehensive overview in real-time – allowing for quicker response and thus reducing the impact of incidents.
Cayuga R16 builds on the introduction of the “Advanced Map Center” in the R15 release, launched earlier this year. This new mapping functionality has been enhanced and now allows for the automatic positioning of sensors in maps using geo-coordinates. Cameras, alarms and buttons, as well as event items can now be displayed on the ArcGIS maps provided by ESRI within Cayuga. In addition, when using the Qognify Mobile Client (also added to Cayuga earlier this year), cameras can be located on a smart device via Google Maps. These advanced mapping capabilities make it easier to quickly access a relevant entity and maintain an overview of the exact location of connected devices.
The new “Patrol in Tiles” (or Carousel Mode) functionality allows virtual patrols to be performed within single video tiles, freeing up space on the video wall, to ensure that the display and monitoring of live camera feeds can happen simultaneously. This is a significant improvement for the control room staff, who tend to be under pressure to perform with limited operator and/or video wall resources. Further video wall improvements are now possible with “Dynamic Camera Layouts”: By dragging additional cameras from the system tree into a grid view displayed on a monitor, the grid is rearranged, and further camera tiles are added – on the go and without changing the default settings of the particular view. Adjusting views has never been easier, saving time to respond to what’s actually happening.
In addition, Cayuga R16 is now compliant with ONVIF Profile S and G. It also supports extended functionalities of Dahua Thermal Cameras for body temperature scanning, as part of organizations’ COVID-19 operational response strategies. Behind the scenes the performance of Cayuga has been optimized in R16 by reducing the amount of data exchanged on management servers. There has also been a further hardening against cyber-attacks (building on the cyber security release of Cayuga R14 in October 2019) with important Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) updates.
Carsten Eckstein, Head of Product Management for Cayuga at Qognify states: “This year Qognify has made significant enhancements to Cayuga and the improvements in R16 continue our innovative roadmap to always release a new VMS version that responds to the ever-changing demands of multi-site corporate and enterprise projects. Many of the new functionalities that we incorporate into our software today are a result of our ongoing cross-product initiative that enhances the customer experience across our product lines. We will continue on this path, always with our users in the focus, enabling operators to undertake their duties with optimal efficiency and make faster, more informed and impactful decisions.
Cayuga R16 is available now from Qognify. Current customers with a valid Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) can download and install the update manually, or if updated from an installed base via the built-in Auto Updater.
Pearl River, New York, August 12, 2020 – Qognify – the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for physical security and enterprise incident management – today announced the appointment of Jeff Swaim, as Director of Channel Sales & National Accounts, Americas. He joins Qognify with a focus to drive the sales performance for its Ocularis video management system (VMS), as well as defining and delivering growth strategy for the company’s National Accounts Program. Jeff brings more than 18 years of experience to Qognify, holding sales and leadership positions in the security and video surveillance industries, including leadership roles at US Army, Matrix Networks, and Hikvision USA He joins Qognify from Avigilon where he held the role of Director, Strategic Accounts North America. At Qognify, Jeff will be reporting directly to Jeremy Howard, Vice President Physical Security Sales, Americas, who comments on the appointment: “Working with Jeff previously, I was impressed by his deep industry relationships, his sales experience and his leadership style, and the impact these qualities had on sales performance. He is a real asset to the business and will be instrumental in Qognify meeting and exceeding its aggressive growth plans.” Jeff states: “I have long been impressed by the innovation coming from Qognify and how in tune it is with the changing demands of physical security, particularly in areas of real-time monitoring and tactical operations.” He adds: “I relish the opportunity to grow the already impressive list of enterprises and large-scale corporate accounts that have put their trust in the Ocularis. It is a VMS that enables organizations to utilize best-of-breed technologies and unify disparate video surveillance architecture in a single intuitive system, which can adapt and expand as the environment dictates.” About Qognify Qognify helps safeguarding your world, focusing on the outcomes of customers, who place a premium on physical security. Providing solutions to mitigate risks, increase security and optimize operations, Qognify serves thousands of customers all over the world as a trusted advisor. The comprehensive portfolio of Qognify contains physical security and incident management solutions, which create add value for many sectors including manufacturing companies, transportation authorities, retail chains, banks and other financial institutions, ports and seaports, logistics service providers, schools and universities, correctional facilities, critical infrastructures and cities. Headquartered in Pearl River, New York, Qognify operates major development hubs in Germany and Israel as well as sales and support offices around the globe. Media Contact: Andreas Conrad Head of Marketing Email: marketing@qognify.com Phone: +49 (0) 7251 9290-511
Bruchsal, Germany, June 11, 2020 – Qognify – the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for physical security and enterprise incident management – today announced the launch of Cayuga R15. The new release of Qognify’s video management system (VMS) for multi-site corporate and enterprise projects focuses on enhanced usability and connectivity, improved maintainability and intelligent analytics. One of the main goals while developing Cayuga R15 was to help security personnel quickly identify, locate and evaluate an event. This can present a real challenge when operating large systems with widely distributed locations and a large number of cameras. Cayuga R15 solves this problem by supporting the use of the powerful Esri ArcGIS mapping platform, enabling cameras to be positioned on a map and available globally – depending on access rights. Multiple views or areas of interest within one map source as well as the clustering of icons depending on the zoom level make it easy to keep the overview on the map at any time. The new Qognify Mobile Client is another powerful tool added in Cayuga R15 that improves the ability to respond to an event. The Mobile Client is the result of Qognify’s cross-product initiative, to combine the benefits of technological assets within its VMS portfolio. It can connect to Cayuga and Ocularis installations using a smartphone or tablet, enabling security personnel to view live streams as well as to browse and playback recorded footage remotely in a totally revamped, intuitive design. It is available for iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded from the App Store or from Google Play at no additional costs. For organizations, such as those in the retail sector, that often need to export video in a way that does not infringe privacy rights, Cayuga R15 adds a new Export Designer. This software module enables the editing (blurring and/or masking of moving objects and static areas) of video sequences to be exported. This new functionality is complemented by an optional Export Validation Tool that can be used to easily check that exported footage supplied for the purpose of evidence has not been tampered with. Many other changes, big and small made it into the release. For enterprise customers there is a new time management feature that enables the use of multiple distinguished holiday calendars within one organization. Active directory management has been further improved and now offers even deeper integration for setting user rights directly in Windows. And finally, for customers relying on video analytics as part of their security regiment, Cayuga R15 now uses deep learning-based AI to deliver optimized object classification. This helps to set up video analysis faster and mitigates false alarms caused by common occurrences such as insects and headlights. Carsten Eckstein, Head of Product Management for Cayuga at Qognify is proud of what his team achieved for this latest version of the product: “The additions and enhancements in Cayuga R15 are in direct response to the feedback from our partners and customers. This is the first release, where Qognify’s new development philosophy, to look beyond one specific product, has been put to practice. I can’t wait for Cayuga customers to start using R15 but it is equally nice to know that also those users who rely on other Qognify products will profit from the work we have accomplished here in their Qognify system of choice.” Cayuga R15 is compatible with Qognify’s innovative Umbrella web-based platform that can be used to configure, manage and monitor all connected Cayuga systems centrally. It also integrates with its Business Video Intelligence (BVI) software, which combines video footage from Cayuga with transaction data from business-related IT systems to create new levels of information to optimize business processes. Availability Cayuga R15 is part of Qognify’s comprehensive video management portfolio that includes VisionHub, Ocularis and NiceVision. It is available now in 15 languages and is SIRA (Security Industry Regulatory Agency) compliant, enabling it to be used in public projects in Dubai and the wider Gulf region. A couple of things to keep in mind before updating …
Qognify – the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for physical security and enterprise incident management – today anounce that the latest release of its video management system (VMS) Cayuga R14, places a major focus on cyber security.
With the rise of IP solutions for video surveillance systems in recent years, dealing with cybersecurity issues to safeguard video installations has become of utmost importance. One of the best ways to reduce network vulnerabilities associated with video surveillance systems is to make sure that the communication between the different components of the video solution is securely encrypted. A comprehensive role-based access management must also be in place in order to elevate the level of protection, while meeting the compliance requirements of mission-critical environments.
Cayuga R14 is focusing on just that: the security architecture of the VMS has been revamped to make sure that internal communication is even safer than before. State-of-the-art encryption is used for the export of videos, so that they can only be accessed by authorized people. Fundamental Active Directory (AD) optimizations make sure that the login procedure for Cayuga and the administration of AD roles are now fully aligned with industry standards. As Single Sign On is now fully supported, there is no need to explicitly sign in to the Cayuga application – once the Windows login was successful.
Aside from all the security improvements, Cayuga now offers the option to start the standard client in Viewer mode. This way the user benefits from most of the standard features in the client – even without a connection to the Cayuga server. The new offline Client is also available in a light-weight portable version to be distributed with exported video files.
Furthermore, Cayuga now supports more than 5,000 different devices from more than 80 different hardware manufacturers. New camera functions have also been introduced into its smart drivers, giving customers even more choice when selecting the right hardware for a video security application.
Cayuga R14 is available now from Qognify. Current customers with a valid Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) can download and install the update manually, or if updated from an installed base via the built-in Auto Updater.
Advance notice: 32 bit support for Cayuga will end with R15.
Cayuga so far has been available as 64- and 32 bit version. However, we already want to inform you today that Cayuga will only be available as a 64-bit version from the upcoming version R15, which is expected to be released in the 2nd quarter of 2020. Cayuga R14 is the last version for which – on request – a 32-bit version will be available.
Cayuga R14 is also the latest version to support Object Video. Customers using Object Video have already been personally informed about this change and their future migration options. Please contact us, should you have further questions about this change and what it might mean to your installation.
Pearl River, NY (December 22, 2018) – Qognify – the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for Physical Security and Enterprise Incident Management – today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) and the OnSSI company – SeeTec GmbH. In bringing these award-winning technology solution portfolios together under one roof – including Qognify VisionHub, OnSSI Ocularis and SeeTec Cayuga – Qognify becomes one of the largest VMS, Video Analytics, PSIM and critical incident management companies in the world. Qognify is backed by global investment firm Battery Ventures.
Also located in Pearl River, New York, OnSSI was founded in 2002 with the goal of developing comprehensive and intelligent IP video management software (VMS). Today, the company has an established presence in more than 100 countries, where its Ocularis and Cayuga VMS solutions are relied upon by education, gaming, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, public safety, transportation and utilities organizations. With Qognify’s proven pedigree in delivering successful projects for financial services companies, mass-transit infrastructure, large international airports and seaports, as well as smart and safe city projects around the world, the acquisition sees the company establish a dominant global position in both the mid-market and enterprise sectors.
SeeTec GmbH is a pioneer of IP video technology and today a leading provider of VMS software in Europe. The Germany-based company was acquired by OnSSI in 2015 and boasts 100 employees, working out of offices across mainland Europe, Dubai, Scandinavia and the UK.
Steve Shine, CEO and President of Qognify states: “OnSSI and SeeTec solutions have a deservedly excellent reputation throughout the security sector. This is the perfect time to bring together our collective pool of physical security talent and technologies, to increase the range of target markets we are able to serve. The partnership also greatly increases the number of customers and partners for the combined business. This is a very exciting agreement for all of us.”
Gadi Piran, Co-Founder, President and CTO of OnSSI comments: “This coming together of two of the security sector’s most innovative companies, unleashes unrivalled opportunities for collaboration and brings to market a proposition that meets all security and operational management requirements, from powerful VMS to full scale intelligent situational awareness.” Piran adds: “Our collective market reach is truly global, with a strong presence in Europe, the US and Asia that will continue to grow.”
Jesse Feldman, General Partner at Battery Ventures, which acquired Qognify from NICE Systems in 2015 states: “Qognify has rapidly established itself as a trusted and progressive brand in the physical security sector. The acquisition of the OnSSI Group – a high-profile brand in the security market in its own right – is a major achievement in its history, but most importantly lays down a marker regarding its intent to grow faster and bigger.”
The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, subject to certain conditions and satisfaction of terms.
For more information on OnSSI, call 845-732-7900, e-mail info@onssi.com or visit www.onssi.com.