Genetec Citigraf Big Data Platform Analyzed

Published Oct 26, 2017 13:43 PM

A big industry debate is whether VMS software is now a commodity.

However, Genetec believes it can charge a substantial premium for higher-end software. One of those systems is Genetec's new Citigraf, which they describe as:

Genetec Citigraf is a decision support system that unifies public safety operations across city departments through situational awareness and the proper dissemination of information.

But what is that? Who would benefit from it? How does it work? What does it cost?

In this report, we share feedback from Genetec, and analyze the competitive positioning of the system.

Citigraf ********

******** **** *** *********** ************ ****** what *** ** **** ** ******** Center:

  • ******** ******* - *********** ** **** surrounding ** ***** ** ***** *********** and ********** ** ** **** *********/*********.
  • ******** - ******** ** ******** ****** and ******* **** ** ****** ** impact ** ******* ******** ********.

******** ******* *** *** ***** ** a *******-***** ******** **************, ****** ** the ******* ********* *** ***** **** as ****** ***********, ***, *** ****. It ******** * "****** ********* *******" approach, ***** ******** ************* ***** *** system *** *** *** **** ****** and *********** **** ****** ** ***** specific ******** *** **** * ************* of *** ***** ****** ********* ** an ****.

*** ******* ********* ***** ***** ********* some ** *** ******** ************** ****, though **** *** ******* **** ********* on ******** ******:

Citigraf **** *******

******** **** **** ******** ** ***** Genetec ******** ********** (*.*., ******** ******) such ** *** *******, ***** *********, shot ********* *******, ****** ******* *******, calls ** ******/**** ********, *** ******* incident ************ *******. **** *** **** not **** **** ******* *****/******* ** the ****** ******* ********, *** **** from ********* *******, **** ** ***** participating ** * **************** *****************. **** **** *********** ** ********* as "******* ****** ******" ** *******.

******** **** *** ******* *** **** on *** ***, *** ********* **** little *** ****, ********* ** *******. Its ******* ******** ** ******* * more ********* *** *** *********, *** responders ** *** *****, ** *** access ** *** **** ******** *********** needed *** * ***** *****.

Citigraf ** ******* *******

*********** *******, ******** ** ******** ** **** users ****** *** ****** ****** ***********. However, ******* ******* ** ****** ** events **** **** ******* ********* (*.*., if ***** ** * **** ***** in ******** *, *** ****** ***** do *, **** ** *, **** call ****** *). ******* ******* *** also ********* ********** ******* **** ** event (* **** ***** **** * chemical ****** ********** ***** **** * hazardous ********* ****** *** ** ******* 1 ****** ** ******** ** ********, where * **** ***** **** ***** Process * ****** ** ********). ******** presents ********* *** ********** **** ********** relevant *********** ** ***** **** ** handle ****** ****** *** *********** (*.*., this ******** ******* **** ** ** an ******* **** * ******** ****** and *** ** *** ********* ** known ** ** *******).

***** *** *** ******** ** *** directly *******, ***** ***** ********* *** one ** *** *****, *** ****. Citigraf ** ******** ** ******** ********* and ***** **********. ******* ******* ** closer ** * ****, ***** **** pre-defined ********* ** ********** ******, **** likely ** ** **** ** *********** groups, ** ********* *****.

Originated **** **** ** *******

******* ****** **** ******** **** *** of * ******* **** *** **** of ******* ** ******* **** **** solutions ** ****** ******* ********** ** their ********/******** ********* ** **** ********* strategies *** ***** ********* *** ** measure *** ****** ** ***** **********. From *****, ******* ******** ** *** work **** *** *** **** *** turned ** **** *** ******** ******* offering.

Citigraf ******** *******/***** **********

******** ******* ** ********* * ****-**** thick-client ********* (******** **** ******** ****) that ******* ********* *********** ** ***********/******* personnel *** ***** *********/***** ********** **** are ******** ** ****** **** ** determining *** ** ****** * ***** incident ** ****. ** ** ****, the ****** ***** **** ********* ********** that ** ******* ** *** ******* incident ***** *******. ** *** **** of * ******** ******* ****, **** can ******* ***** ***** *** *** same *******, **** ***** **** *** those ********** **** ********. ** *** case ** * ******** ******, *** information *** ** ********** ** ***** addresses ** *** ********* **** **** burglary, *****, ** ********* ******* ** prior ******.

******** *** ***** ***** **** ** provide ********* ******** *********** ** * dispatcher, *** *** **** ****** **** gets ********* ** ** ** ******* handling **** ******** *****.

*** ********* ***** ***** ** ******* of *** ******** *********, ******* ********* of ******** ***** ** * ****** station, ****** **** ** ****** **********, utility ************* (**** ********** ** ***** reporting ******* **** ******* *********), *** other ******** ***********. ********* *** ***** over ** ***** *** ***** ******* to ***** ****** ** *** **** detailed *********** ****** ****.

IPVM Image

IPVM Image

********** ******* * ****** ** **** information, ** ******* ** **** **** are ********** **, ********* ** **-*** laptops, ** ****** ****** *** *******, depending ** **** ********* *** ********* carries.

***** ******** ******, ** ********** ******* patrols, ********** *** **** *** ***** mobile ******* ** **** ***** *** a ***** **** ** *** *** information, **** ** * ************ **** a ******** ***** ***** ******** ********* in ** ****. **** **** ***** then ** ********** **** ****** ****** in *** **** ** **** ******* more ******** **** **** ***** ** activities *** ** ** * ***** event.

Citigraf ********

******** *** *** **** **** **** as *** ******** ******* *********, *** instead ******** *** **** ** **** prior ******, *** ********, ** ******* predictive ********. **** ** **** ******** is **** ** *** *****, ***** Genetec's ****** **************. ******* *** ********* in * ******* *********. *** ********* image ***** ***** ***** *********** ** annual ******** *****, ************ ***** ***** crimes **** **** ******** (*** ******* of *****), *** ******** ******** ******** by *** ** *** ***** *** previous ***** (****** *******).

IPVM Image

**** *** **** ** **** ** create **** ***********, ********* ******** ***** reports *** ************ **** ** ***** of ********* ** ********, **** ******* them ******** ** ***** ***** ** provide * ********** **** ****** *** a ***** ****** ****** * **** for *******:

IPVM Image

******* ****** ******** *** **** ** used ** ******* *** ************* ** various ****** ****** ***********. ** ******* at ********** *** ********** ***** ** events **** ****, **** * ****** point ******* ** **** *** ****** lights **** ********, ** **** * speed ***** *** *******, ****** *** better ********* ** *** ****** ****** truly ******* ********, ** ** *** speed ***** ******* ******** ** ***** pedestrian ********.

IPVM Image

Designed *** **** **********

******** *** ******** ** ** **** to ****** *** **** *** ******* extensive ************* ********* ** *******. **** is ********* ******** ** *** ******** on ***** ******* ********, ********* ******** Center, ** *** ********** ****** ** video *** ***** ******* *** *******, leaving ******** **** ******* ** ******* one ***: *******'* ***.

PSIM-Like, *** *** ****

******** *** ******** *** ************* ******* to **** **** ********* ** ***** of *** ******** ******* ************. *******, Citigraf **** *** ********* **** ******** VMSes, ** ***** ******** ********* *** is *** ******** ** ***** ********* systems. ** ****** ** ******** ****** to ****** ************ ** ******* ***** sources *** *******. ******** *** ********* are ******* **** ****** ***** "*******", according ** *******, ******** *** ********* use ***** ** **** ***** **** not ******* ********* *** *********** * large ****** ** ******* ************.

Resource ************

******* ****** ******** **** *** ******* significant **************. ******** ******* **** ****** data ** *** ***, ** ****** analyzes *** ********** **** ******* ****** into, ** ******, ** * ******** Center ***** ****. ***** ********* ********* Citigraf ***** ****** ******* *** ******** on * ********* ******, ******* **** that *** ******** ****** *** ******* a ***** ****** ** *****, ****** final ****** ***** *** ************* **** depend ** *** ********** ***********.

*******

******* ** ********* ***** ** *** relative **** ** *** ************ ********* the ********. ******** *** ******** ****** based ** * *-**** ************/******* *********. The **** ***** *** ******** ** $400,000, *** **** ** ********** ******* fee ***** ** *** **** ** the ************, ***** ****** ** $***,***. Thus, *** ***** ********* ******** ******* would ** $***,*** **** * *****, and ******* **** **** *** ***** up ** $**+ **** *** * year ******* ******.

*** ******** ******* ** ** ******** to *** ***** ******** *** ******** Center *** ***** ******* ********** * municipality *** ** *******.

Competitive *********

***** *** *** *********** ** **** area, ************** ***** **** **** **** of ******** *** * ********** ******* customer **** *** ** *** **** and ********** ** *** ******* ********. IBM's*********** ********** ********* ********'****************** *** ****** *********. ** **** degree, **** *********, **** ******* ******** ********** ******* *************** ******* ******* *************, ************ ** the ******** ******* *********. *** ********* not ******* ******* ******** ******, ***** alternative ******* *** ****** ** ** more ********* ********* **** ********* ***** current ************** **** *******'* **********.

Citigraf ********

*** ************* ******* ******* ******** ** Genetec's ********, ******** **** ******* ***** Genetec **** *** *******, ****** ********* to *********** ******** **** **** **** difficult. **** **** ****** ** ******* encourage *** ********* ********* ** ******* its********* *****************, ** ***** ******* *** ****** potential **** ******* *** ********, ********** what ** *** ******* ** *** municipality.

*** ************* *** ******* ***** *******, but *********** ******* ****** ****** *********, Citigraf ******** **** ** ** ***-**-*** solution, ** ** ******* *** ************* of *** ******** ************** ** *********** and ***** **********, ****** ***** ********* limited ******** **** ***-******* *********** *** interfaces. **** *** **** **** **** additional *************** ** *********** *****.

Comments (9)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Oct 26, 2017

Where does the integrator fit in?  Sounds like a substantial amount of customization required for each project.  Wouldn't this limit participation to factory-direct involvement or just very large national integrators, or both?

(1)
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Avatar
Brian Karas
Oct 26, 2017
IPVM

I was skeptical of the setup complexity as well and asked Genetec about that, which is why I had this in the report:

Designed For Easy Deployment

Citigraf was designed to be easy to deploy, and does not require extensive customization according to Genetec.

We have not installed or tested Citigraf (and most likely will not), so we cannot validate how easy the installation is (or not), but it does appear to be an area of concern that Genetec has tried to address.

The integrator would have the same general role and function as selling and installing any other Genetec components.

(1)
U
Undisclosed #2
Oct 26, 2017

"For customers not already running Security Center, these alternative options are likely to be more practical solutions than replacing their current infrastructure with Genetec's components."

Is this actually true? If you had multiple disparate platforms and assuming the cameras were compatible and servers reusable would it not be less expensive in the short and long term then a PSIM to simply take over the disparate systems with something like Genetec?  Even if this included access control a few million dollars buys a lot of hardware takeovers and simplifies long term support. 

Avatar
Brian Karas
Oct 26, 2017
IPVM

Every case would be unique, but there is a very high switching cost, in terms of dollars and retraining people. You will inevitably lose some features or functions that you valued going from any one system to another (of course, you may gain some as well). Operators will need to be re-trained, any "gremlins" will need to be worked out, etc.

These things can all add up to a significant time and money investment.

I would agree that there could be savings on support once everything was cut over to be a more single-vendor system.

U
Undisclosed #2
Oct 26, 2017

But more time and money then a PSIM? I ran into one recently where they had invested 3M+ and it was barely functional and not anywhere near where they wanted it to be after 3 years. I am also pretty sure PSIMs are specialized housing units for gremlins to live in permanently:)

(2)
Avatar
Brian Karas
Oct 26, 2017
IPVM

The Motorola and IBM options mentioned are also public safety focused, and are not exactly PSIMs. 

Really it would depend on the overall amount of infrastructure you have, including remote sites/distributed recorders and any other customizations or integrations. A smaller city might find that a rip and replace with Genetec nets them a more cost-effective and useful system. A large municipality with lots of equipment, custom integrations and other dependencies might find that leaving all of that undisturbed and adding something on top of it, even at a higher cost, has a better overall ROI for them.

 

(2)
U
Undisclosed #3
Oct 28, 2017

All I see is a bunch of candied up graphics, heat maps, spectrum graphing and menus with sub menus pointing to cloud based derivative plug ins. What a joke that some cyber security teams will actually beg for funding to implement decision making software for the security guards sleeping at the desk. Is there some sort of collar shock gizmo that the guards could wear if they make the wrong decision? This is just a large deployment of radionics pc 9000, with some excel pie charts and a few heat maps. I think Genetec has watched too many Snowden videos along with CSI and some Wonderware training videos. Where is the thumbs down button?

 

 

 

 

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UE
Undisclosed End User #4
Nov 01, 2017

I have seen similar pitches from another huge corporation. Up to and including "crime prediction". Even with this being completely reliant on the manufacturers platform....there is still a hell of a lot of data that needs to be entered, by someone, and in the case of emergency reponders, every minute on a report is a minute not on the road. Providing needed data on the history of a call is crucial, but heat mapping and crime prediction is smoke and mirrors. Did i read that correctly? 3m for 3 years? That's an additional 16 dispatchers, 14 officers etc. Big data makes big promises. A heat map has yet to make a single arrest. Big money, slick packaging, recurring costs, and they promise they will solve all your problems.

By the way, that big data company i mentioned at the start- after 5 requests to a group containing reps, company sales, and their engineers, not one of them ever provided the name of a municipality that had successfully deployed and were happy with the investment in their product. 5 requests....crickets

(1)
U
Undisclosed #5
Nov 01, 2017

I find municipalities use it as a PR play or its a pilot that's funded with grant money.

 

Whatever happened to the IBM CRUSH that is being used in Memphis, TN?