Genetec Cloud LPR Examined

By Ethan Ace, Published on Apr 10, 2015

The cloud is yet to be a significant factor in video surveillance.

Now, Genetec is trying a different approach, trying to simplify LPR using the cloud.

In this note, we examine the features, limitations, pricing and competitive positioning of Genetec's new cloud LPR offering.

**********

******* *** *** *** own *** ******* *** software *** **** ***** (see******* ****** *** ******). *******, ** *** been ******* ** *******'* own *******. ****** **** support **** ****** *** advanced *********, **** *** far **** ********* **** conventional ** ******* (~$*,*** for *******'* *** ******). Additionally, ******* ******* ~$*,*** for *** ****** *********.

Cloud ***

***, ******* ** ****** support *** ************ ** cameras. *** ***** **** be ******** **** *** cameras ** ****, ********* in *** ***** *** results **** **** ** the ***** ******* ******** Center ******.

*** *********** *******:

  • ******* ***** ** ** mph *********. ****** ****** ***** require ***** *******'* ****** LPR *******.
  • ****** ****** **** ** tested *** ******** ** Genetec. ******* **** ******* ***** *** *** Axis *****-** *** ******* approved *** ***** ****** from **** *** ********* are ******* ****.
  • **** *** ************ ******, night **** / *** light *********** **** ** is ****** ** **** poorly, ** ******* ***** remains.
  • ***** *** ** ************ cameras **** *** ******* advanced ********* ********* ** Genetec ****** ***, **** vehicle *****, ********* ** motion, *** ******* **** identification.
  • ** ****** *** ***** LPR ********** *** ************ cameras *******.

*******

******* **** **** ************ * ******* ************ fee ** *** $**-$** per ******.

Pros *** ****

*** ******* ********** *** that **** ********** ******* up *** ********** ** the ****** ****, ***** can **** **** **** and, **** ***********, * fair ****** ** ****** load. **** * ****** Genetec ***********, ** ********** the ******** ~$*,*** *** server *********.

** *** ******** ****, it ** ******* ** Genetec ***** *** * few ************ *******. ~$*** per **** ** *** cheap *** ***** *******'* high *********** *** ********* costs (**** ****** ***), if ***** **** *******, it ***** **** *** ** be **** *********.

*******, ***** *****, ********* Genetec's ******* ***** ********* (see********* *** ******), ******* ******* ***** party *******, ******** *** local **********, ****** **** a ********** ***** *** the **** ** ****** that ********* *** *** overloaded.

*******, ** *** **** benefits ** *******'* ****** support ** ***** *** for ************ *******.

UPDATE ******

** ********** *******'* ***** *** here.

Comments (6)

Steve Mitchell

04/10/15 04:12pm

You say "the video will be streamed from the cameras on site." I kind of doubt this is what's happening. If so, they'd need to identify the bandwidth requirements.

The ideal architecture here is to use object recognition on camera with a classifier that isolates the license plate (or at least indentifies candidate frames that include a vehicle). Then send images to the cloud for recognition--most likely using a machine learning system.

Seems like that type of implementation would lead to the narrow camera requirements listed.

Maybe I'm giving Genetec too much benefit of the doubt, but that's a good architecture as it allows many tags to be identified most efficiently, and the cloud-side recognition can be tuned and modified without need for on-site intervention.

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Steve Mitchell | 04/10/15 07:59pm

Using either software triggers, such as motion or cross-line detection, or hardware triggers, including in-ground loop and IR sensors, AutoVu Plate Reader Cloud will detect vehicles and upload a short encrypted video feed to its cloud-based engine, where the image analysis is performed. - Genetec

Supported video stream resolution 800 x 600

Note: Though most advanced analytics are not supported, vehicle make identification is.

Avatar

Jean Pierre Picard

In reply to Steve Mitchell | 04/13/15 03:28pm

Hi Steve,

John has properly described the way Plate Reader Cloud will function. The local Security Center system streams a short video archive when a trigger detects a vehicle. The entirety of the image analysis is performed in the cloud, including license plate detection. This limits local processing requirements to its minimum and enables seamless updates to the license plate-finding component of our ALPR engine.

Plate Reader Cloud was designed to address one of the core inefficiencies of software-based ALPR solutions, which is that you must always have enough processing power for peak activity times – typically the beginning and end of office hours. During the rest of the day, this (costly) processing capacity is simply unused. By moving image analysis to the cloud, Plate Reader Cloud eliminates the need for off-peak processing overcapacity, and decreases the total cost of ownership of a software-based ALPR solution.

We feel this approach will both let customers scale their systems without having to invest in significant local processing capacity and achieve the high accuracy and performance they expect from Genetec AutoVu solutions.

Jean-Pierre Picard
Product Marketing Manager, Genetec

Steve Mitchell

In reply to Jean Pierre Picard | 04/13/15 04:43pm

Jean-Pierre, thanks for the clarification. I read John's original description as all video may be streamed continuously to the cloud recognition services. This is obviously not the case, as an on-camera or other trigger is used to first identify candidate frames, then imagary is uploaded to the cloud for recognition. You're saying, rather than individual frames, it is a short series of frames. Which I interpret to be basically the same architecture I'm describing. :)

Sorry to split hairs--I tend to distinguish between a contiuous stream of video to the cloud vs a file being uploaded to the cloud. They have very different implications in terms of bandwidth and reliability.

Can you say more about the narrow supported camera requirements? I assume this is due to the need for object recognition or tripwire capabilities built into the Q1765 and P1425-LE? Is there any camera software licensing required?

Avatar

Jean Pierre Picard

In reply to Steve Mitchell | 04/13/15 08:21pm

Hi Steve,

You are right, video is not streamed continuously, and the final architecture is very close to what you described.

The list of cameras certified at launch will go beyond the Axis Q1765 and P1425-LE, and will include cameras from both Panasonic and Sony. While the selection might seem limited at first, we are confident the final list will provide enough options for customers to meet requirements in a wide range of scenarios. Additional brands and models might also be added post-launch.

Customers associate Genetec’s AutoVu product line with high accuracy. In our experience, consistently attaining a high level of accuracy at day and night is only possible with a restricted number of cameras, and requires testing that goes beyond validating a camera can output a stream at a pre-defined resolution and framerate.

Certification is 100% focused on real-world ALPR performance – each camera on our list has been installed at our own offices for several weeks before being certified, and the specific camera settings required to achieve high accuracy will be documented in the Plate Reader Cloud installation guide. Object recognition or tripwire analytics are not part of the testing process.

As for licensing, no additional camera software license is required beyond the subscription fee mentionned in the original article.

Thanks,

Jean-Pierre Picard
Product Marketing Manager, Genetec

Brian Tally

04/14/15 11:13am

I see this being huge in city wide deployments. Being able to strategically place LPR throughout a city without the huge upfront cost of Sharp cameras will draw more cities into making investments in LPR.

Read this IPVM report for free.

This article is part of IPVM's 6,592 reports, 889 tests and is only available to members. To get a one-time preview of our work, enter your work email to access the full article.

Already a member? Login here | Join now

Related Reports

Ava / Vaion Releases Cloud Connected IP Cameras, Verkada Competitor on Oct 01, 2020
Ava (formerly Vaion) announced its new direct-to-cloud AVA Aware IP cameras...
Avigilon ACC Cloud Tested on Jul 08, 2020
Avigilon merged Blue and ACC, adding VSaaS features to its on-premise VMS,...
Vivotek LPR Camera Tested on Apr 15, 2020
Vivotek has historically sold license plate capture cameras but not LPR. Now,...
Startup Videoloft Presents Cloud Storage on May 27, 2020
Videoloft presented offsite cloud storage at the May 2020 IPVM Startups...
NetApp Presents Hybrid Cloud Video Archive on May 11, 2020
NetApp presented its hybrid S3 cloud video archive at the April 2020 IPVM New...
Milestone Presents XProtect On AWS on May 04, 2020
Milestone presented its XProtect on AWS offering at the April 2020 IPVM New...
NetApp Video Surveillance Profile on Mar 09, 2020
NetApp is increasing its efforts in video surveillance and told IPVM...
OnTech Smart Services Partners With Google and Amazon To Compete With Integrators on Sep 25, 2020
A pain point for many homeowners to use consumer security and surveillance is...
Avigilon Presents Cloud Connected ACC on May 13, 2020
Avigilon presented Avigilon Cloud Services, which supports cloud-connected...
Milestone XProtect on AWS Tested on Sep 21, 2020
Milestone finally launched multiple cloud solutions in 2020, taking a...
Vivotek Presents AI Analytics and LPR on May 19, 2020
Vivotek presented its AI Analytics and LPR at the April 2020 IPVM New...
Avigilon Open Analytics Tested on Apr 16, 2020
After years of effectively closed analytics, Avigilon decided in late 2018 to...
Genetec Presents Security Center for Airports on Apr 28, 2020
Genetec presented its Security Center for Airports at the April 2020 IPVM New...
Genetec Security Center 5.9 Release Examined on Feb 06, 2020
Genetec released the next major version of Security Center, less than a year...
Remote Network Access for Video Surveillance Guide on Jul 27, 2020
Remotely accessing surveillance systems is key in 2020, with more and more...

Recent Reports

ISC Brasil Digital Experience 2020 Report on Oct 23, 2020
ISC Brasil 2020 rebranded itself to ISC Digital Experience and, like its...
Top Video Surveillance Service Call Problems 2020 on Oct 23, 2020
3 primary and 4 secondary issues stood out as causing the most problems when...
GDPR Impact On Temperature / Fever Screening Explained on Oct 22, 2020
What impact does GDPR have on temperature screening? Do you risk a GDPR fine...
Security And Safety Things (S&ST) Tested on Oct 22, 2020
S&ST, a Bosch spinout, is spending tens of millions of dollars aiming to...
Nokia Fever Screening Claims To "Advance Fight Against COVID-19" on Oct 22, 2020
First IBM, then briefly Clorox, and now Nokia becomes the latest Fortune 500...
Deceptive Meridian Temperature Tablets Endanger Public Safety on Oct 21, 2020
IPVM's testing of and investigation into Meridian Kiosk's temperature...
Honeywell 30 Series and Vivotek NVRs Tested on Oct 21, 2020
The NDAA ban has driven many users to look for low-cost NVRs not made by...
Ubiquiti Access Control Tested on Oct 21, 2020
Ubiquiti has become one of the most widely used wireless and switch providers...
Avigilon Aggressive Trade-In Program Takes Aim At Competitors on Oct 20, 2020
Avigilon has launched one of the most aggressive trade-in programs the video...
Mexico Video Surveillance Market Overview 2020 on Oct 20, 2020
Despite being neighbors, there are key differences between the U.S. and...
Dahua Revenue Grows But Profits Down, Cause Unclear on Oct 20, 2020
While Dahua's overall revenue was up more than 12% in Q3 2020, a significant...
Illegal Hikvision Fever Screening Touted In Australia, Government Investigating, Temperature References Deleted on Oct 20, 2020
The Australian government told IPVM that they are investigating a Hikvision...
Panasonic Presents i-PRO Cameras and Video Analytics on Oct 19, 2020
Panasonic i-PRO presented its X-Series cameras and AI video analytics at the...
Augmented Reality (AR) Cameras From Hikvision and Dahua Examined on Oct 19, 2020
Hikvision, Dahua, and other China companies are marketing augmented reality...
18 TB Video Surveillance Drives (WD and Seagate) on Oct 19, 2020
Both Seagate and Western Digital recently announced 18TB hard drives...