KSX Netted Security System Is An Example Of New Innovative Systems To Meet Emerging Threats
The threat of terrorism and attacks on facilities across the United States and the globe have increased the requirement for physical security and monitoring. In the U.S. these have included military bases as well as financial centers. In Russia schools and theaters have been attacked. In Europe the focus has been on transportation systems such as subways and buses. Obviously in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa it has been embassies, government buildings, schools and other concentrations of people.
Knowledge Vector (KVI) is a small company located in Cary, North Carolina that is developing and implementing netted security systems for a variety of customers. The company's software is used to understand real time, streaming data, recognizing and responding to events of interest to enable security actions and decisions. The products move beyond just collecting data into analyzing and prediction actions based on what has been collected. The systems developed are being used by Government agencies, transportation hubs as well as educational establishments and financial firms.
Their latest product is the KVI Suite which is an implementation of the KVI Switch (KSX). This is a scalable system that has already been purchased by several customers. The costs of these KSX solutions have ranged from $75,000.00 to $2,000,000.00. KSX is often implemented as part of a larger contract to provide security and surveillance.
The company has been developing KSX since 2002 when the first versions went into service with U.S. Government customers. Since then it has won acceptance across the spectrum of commercial customers as well. The company received a significant capital investment in 2008 that has allowed it to expand its customer base.
The key to the system is that it operates as "event-based middleware" allowing it to be integrated with any number and type of surveillance and data collection sensors. The KSX reviews the data collected and analyzes it to determine what "noise" is and what should be brought to the attention of security personnel. The goal is to identify the necessary events or information that requires the proper response. In the past this has been performed by human analysis which requires a substantial time investment that possibly might delay the correct response to any security issue or violation.
The KSX design enables it to function with existing security collection systems or be installed as part of a new one. The software allows analysis not only of conventional data such as camera photos but also of more discrete information including conversations, specific events and anomalies to previous collected data. The KSX analysis enables and supports the managed and integrated response to any emerging security and safety issue.
A system like KSX should make security of any facility more effective. Through its innovative use of predictive analysis it should draw the attention of security personnel to possible events. Its scalability and ability to work either with existing sensor systems or newly installed ones also add to its capability. The fact that the price of the system is also scalable aids in its implementation by a variety of entities and facilities. Not all areas needing security are able to afford the most expensive or capable one.
KVI's KSX is an innovative and capable enhancement to physical security systems and represents a significant step forward in utilizing software to enhance the capabilities of traditional security sensor systems. In the future as the asymmetric threat continues to U.S. and Allied facilities not only in operating areas but also at home other systems like this will be developed that stress the predictive capability beyond the traditional physical security means.