The application can be replicated in Latin America where the demand for security software for mass transit systems is increasing every day.
By Milestone Systems*
Milestone Systems, the open video management platform (VMS) software company, completed two years of operation at the Utah Transportation Administration (UTA) where it has offered benefits such as the possibility of installing more cameras on the platforms and at the same time centralizing the control system. Thanks to Milestone, UTA employees spend less time addressing safety issues, without causing travelers a hassle. Additionally, significant improvement in video quality means greater ease of monitoring and investigating incidents.
Previously, UTA's video surveillance system was limited by the capacity of its servers and in 2013 it reached the limit of 500 cameras operating on three servers, which made it impossible to expand the system. The company was building a new line to the airport and was eager to improve surveillance with a much larger video system that was also more efficient.
Growth trend in Latin America
This need to have greater vigilance in mass transport systems has also been imposed in the Latin American region, this is how the buses of a mass transport system in Colombia since their design include video surveillance mechanisms that are connected to the National Police through panic buttons; these cameras record and take photos of what happens inside the vehicles to allow the identification, capture and prosecution of those who commit crimes within the articulated ones.
Another case in Latin America occurred in Brazil where, in order to offer a safer service for users, several cities have equipped their buses with video surveillance cameras that allow monitoring -mainly- the moments of embarkation and disembarkation of passengers.
Thanks to this safety equipment, accident control, door monitoring and supervision of the driver's movements are also facilitated. In addition to that these mechanisms have the ability to store and transmit data and photos over Wi-Fi.
Such is the relevance that the implementation of these security equipment has taken that recently Mexican legislation established that those concessionaires of public transport that do not install video surveillance cameras in all buses will not be able to access the annual adjustment of their rates next year. At this point it is worth mentioning that – according to the most recent reports recorded by the Mexican media – approximately 15% of public transport vehicles have installed this equipment.
Considering the situation of the American transport company (UTA), it decided to turn to Stone Security, the company that helped determine that Milestone's XProtect® video management software was the one that best suited its needs. In 2010, Stone was named Milestone Systems Installation Partner of the Year and three years later was named Regional Partner of the Year and became Milestone's first Diamond Category Marketing Partner in the world. As a Utah-based company, Stone also had the advantage of being familiar with UTA's structure and requirements.
Since the beginning of 2015, UTA has installed more than 1,000 cameras from different suppliers: Axis, Panasonic, IQEye and Digital Watchdog. The system runs on nine HP servers supplied by BCDVideo. Thanks to the operation of all these devices, UTA can expand the number of cameras to 2,000 or more units. Dispatch, commuter and railway control centers, as well as other authorized users, can access security cameras.
Open platform and flexible storage open up more options
Brent Edmunds, co-founder and president of Stone Security, said: "Milestone combines two fundamental components for UTA: a centralized system and a great diversity in its installation. The system is compatible with many different types of cameras. We knew UTA had the ambition to operate a robust security system that was easy to operate and flexible."
Milestone's open platform enables an unsurpassed software integration model that ensures the UTA system is not tied to any unique technology. It adapts to future development and expansion. Flexible storage options also allow UTA to change its hardware options at any time.
Saving money, saving lives
The new technology has had an immediate positive financial impact on UTA. To name just one example, it is common for vehicles to damage or break metal access bars. Before installing milestone's solution, these incidents were not only costly but often left unclarified.
"We had to deal with two or three barriers to access a week," Worthy says. "Usually, repairing each barrier costs about a thousand dollars. The new cameras installed give us the possibility to recover those costs. Utah police can follow up and interview people of interest for the investigation of incidents and attorneys can choose which cases to handle. I think this year alone Milestone has already saved us tens of thousands of dollars."
Other system gains are harder to quantify, but no less important. Worthy says that the Milestone system is a fundamental factor in the clarification of several serious crimes in police investigations.
A safer transportation system, useful evidence
Worthy knows that for passengers, the safety of the public transport system is a priority. If something happens, UTA has the means to officially capture the incident and not have to rely on the recording someone made on their iPhone. One of the most important features of the Milestone system is Evidence Lock, a feature that protects selected video recordings, for use in investigations, with authenticated time records.
"The encryption and protection mechanisms that Milestone applies to exported video is a key factor in being able to present it to a court," says Worthy. "If I have to authenticate a video, I can say with full confidence that this material has not been tampered with. Our cameras have also captured crimes that have occurred outside the UTA facility and these videos have been provided to the police to assist with their investigations. Without our video installation, who knows how many hours of work would have been needed. In some of these cases there are human lives involved, something that cannot be priced."
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