How times have changed.

And yet they have not. The security/loss prevention industry has been using video as an investigative tool for decades. Back when I was Vice President of Loss Prevention for Lord and Taylor about 20 years ago, cameras were used extensively to apprehend shoplifters and dishonest employees.

3VR and our VisionPoint™ family have been featured in American Banker. We are excited about the positive responses we’ve received so far for our video management software suite, especially at ISC West 2013 last month. ISC West attendees were able to witness our powerful Forensic Search feature on 3VR’s intuitive user interface, and just how easy it is to search mountains of video footage for the information they need with the click of a mouse.

When buying a new car a decade ago, I had to decide whether or not to get the GPS option. Since I had never used one before, I wasn’t sure I would need it. Plus, it seemed like a lot of money to spend at the time. Flashing forward to today, I’m not sure how I ever lived without it! Making an investment in technology that will pay off down the road will prove to be one of the smartest decisions you will make.

Investing in Technology

In anticipation of the Tyco IS Annual Electronic Security Products Expo happening this week, let me share with you how Mary Lownes of Tyco helped her customer lay the foundation for success. How? By working with her retail customer to invest in technology that would further their success. A luxury watch retailer had analog DVRs with hard drives that were burning up and provided only analog video. The retailer also wasn’t able to leverage its existing system for much else. They needed help fast!

License plate recognition (LPR), or as it is known outside of North America, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), is most noted for its use in toll gates and toll roads. A car drives past a camera, which captures the license plate number on video, and an LPR analytic uses some form of optical character recognition (OCR) to grab the license plate number and store it as text data. The license plate number is then stored in a database or is immediately sent to a billing system. This system looks up the registered owner of the car and sends them a bill in the mail for a toll violation or charges their account for the toll in an electric toll collection (ETC) system.

Our series with Paul Boucherle, principal at Matterhorn Consulting LLC., aka the Swiss Sherpa, continues here with part 5! Paul will be providing lessons to help system integrators climb their sales mountains. If you missed Lesson #4: Check the weather conditions, you can read it here.

Follow Paul on Twitter.

Lesson #5: Bring the right equipment for Base Camp II.

The weather forecast has been carefully analyzed. You have confidence that the window of opportunity for advancing your business solution is good to go. You have consulted with knowledgeable Sherpas who are going to guide your ascent to Base Camp II. This is a critical phase in making it to your summit. What could possibly go wrong?

3VR Partner Success Stories:

Interview with Carole Dougan, VP of North American Sales at Arecont Vision

Women's Security Council (WSC) 2012 Woman of the Year, Manufacturer category

Like Arecont Vision on Facebook.
Follow Arecont Vision on Twitter.

Over a week has passed since the horrific bombings in Boston and our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all the victims and their families. What an incredible job by law enforcement and investigators to quickly apprehend the suspects. It was reported that their ability to quickly provide images and video of the alleged terrorists was instrumental to their rapid success. Now the next phase of the investigation, finding out what led to this and who else may be involved, will be a more extensive and resource-intensive endeavor.

Fond memories of my best-ever in-store shopping experience: store staff came outside to greet and hand out free cosmetic samples to those of us waiting in line to get in. As we entered the store, staff lined up on both sides of the aisle and applauded us as we entered. Finally, champagne & hors d’oeuvres were offered to us while we shopped. True story. A great shopping experience can be so exhilarating! Imagine your ideal in-store scenario: the merchandise you want is right where you can easily find it. A genuinely caring salesperson is available to you as soon as you are ready. They make you feel special and like you are getting a great deal.

This year, Expo Seguridad Mexico will be held a Centro Banamex in Mexico City from April 23-25, 2013. 3VR is proud to be participating for our 5th year at the largest and leading event of its kind in Mexico and Latin America! Considering 3VR’s substantial Latin American contingent and the expected growth of spending on security measures, we are excited to be able to attend this show.

After graduating from college, my best friend and I ventured to Europe for a few weeks to celebrate our accomplishments and to have some fun before coming home to enter the "real" working world. Of course, our parents expressed their concerns before our trip: their daughters, by themselves, across the Atlantic on a different continent? Which parent wouldn't worry?