Qognify, part of Hexagon, a provider of video and enterprise incident management solutions, has announced the launch of Qognify VMS 7.3 and Umbrella 8.0.

The latest iteration of Qognify’s video management software (VMS) adds intelligent support for investigation processes, while Umbrella 8.0 simplifies the management of VMS installations for partners.

Forensic search

Qognify VMS 7.3 comes with a new forensic search tool named QogniFinder that “significantly” speeds up investigations for persons or vehicles of interest in recorded footage.

It allows the operator to perform an archive research based on selectable criteria, which can include physical attributes such as the color of a piece of clothing, or typical accessories (i.e., person wearing glasses or a hat).

To facilitate this, QogniFinder uses a powerful meta-database that continuously records real-time data streams from different sources such as edge-based or server-based video analytics.

Transforming the investigation process

At launch, QogniFinder supports metadata from a wide range of Hanwha cameras; integrations of further camera brands (e.g., Bosch and Axis) as well as of server-based analytics modules already scheduled for coming releases.

Carsten Eckstein, Head of Product Management VMS at Qognify, said: “QogniFinder is one of the first real non-proprietary forensic search tools available on the market. It turns Qognify VMS into a powerful platform to quickly search video recordings for specific objects, thus fundamentally transforming the investigation process and facilitating collaboration with police and law enforcement agencies.”

New feature: Video Restriction

Qognify VMS 7.3 not only offers new investigation capabilities, but it is also said to improve the management of situations in real time. A new feature called “Video Restriction” allows control room managers to temporarily revoke user or group permissions to view certain video feeds with immediate effect – e.g., after an accident when rescue operations are taking place.

Eckstein explains: “There are circumstances where access to live video feeds from specific cameras needs to be tightly controlled, whether for security and privacy purposes, or to protect the well-being of control room operators, for example when a serious medical incident is being dealt with.” This new feature not only restricts access to specific live video feeds, but also prevents recorded footage from being leaked to outsiders.

Furthermore, Qognify VMS now also supports the use of vectorised maps and floor plans in PDF format. This reduces the number of maps that need to be uploaded and makes for a much smoother user experience when a camera or other element needs to be located.

The 7.3 release also contains a Smart Driver for Honeywell that allows new camera models to be added to a system without having to install additional drivers. Based on this unique approach to camera management, the number of supported cameras and devices has more than doubled over the past five years.

Physical security solutions

With its recent version, Qognify VMS starts to tap into the potential of Hexagon’s vast technology portfolio, thus creating new and better solutions for physical security challenges. For example, Qognify VMS is now able to interact with Hexagon’s Accur8vision volumetric detection technology that leverages LiDAR technology, revealing a whole new set of use cases to be made available to Qognify VMS users.

Typical LiDAR applications include: protection of assets that are hard to protect, such as airplanes stationed on a tarmac; drone detection; train platform and tunnel security; and highly accurate people counting.

Yaniv Toplian, Vice President of Research and Development at Qognify, said he is excited about the new opportunities Hexagon’s technology stack provides: “By developing combined industry-specific solutions with Qognify and Hexagon technologies, we can create significant added value for our customers and contribute to an even more holistic implementation of physical security strategies.”

Next generation of Qognify’s VMS management platform

The release of Qognify VMS 7.3 is complemented by the launch of the next generation of Qognify’s VMS management platform, Umbrella. This web-based solution enables organizations to centralize the configuration, monitoring and management of their VMS installations.

Changes can be rolled out to hundreds of thousands of systems within minutes, thus delivering time savings as well as cost control through better software license management.

Qognify Umbrella’s recent 8.0 release adds a multi-tenancy function, which enables Qognify’s global partner base to provide a new recurring revenue service to their customers, offering the continuous monitoring and management of their VMS installations. This allows organisations to outsource the maintenance of multi-site installations to a trusted partner, benefiting from its expertise while lowering the administrative workload.

Qognify VMS 7.3 is now available worldwide. The release of Qognify Umbrella 8.0 will follow the first week of July.

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