Modi visit to the UK Adds to Make In India Momentum

17th November, 2015. London, UK. PM Narendra Modi, in keeping with the format, addressed the Indian dispora of the United Kingdom to a packed Wembley Stadium. It is clear that no other Indian Prime Minister has ever represented the Indian nation from a cultural and political standpoint to the world. Our knowledge and interest on the visit was based on the societal benefit of having additional markets to supply, to collaborate with and bring even further economies of scale to the increase in electronic manufacturing.

 

(Jay Shah, Friends of India and Bikal partner, second from the right). 

Bikal has been to India on three occasions in 2015 sparked by a February UKTI trade mission that took place. This highly concentrated 4 days, attending IESA (India Electronic & Semi-conductor Association) and ELCINA annual events in Bangalore and Chennai respectively, reinforced the emerging market opportunity but also gave the team the detail in where the opportunities lie. Having been long term partners with Chinese product and component manufacturers Bikal has been researching how to partner with other factories around the world. The timing of this mission, the Make in India campaign (to promote manufacturing in India and reduce imports) and then Modi’s visit to the UK have contributed to our set up of our manufacturing partners in the UK.

Big data analytics – The Power of Petabytes

 





                                          

   

Big data analytics – The Power of Petabytes

Fifteen years ago, it was a landmark achievement. Ten years ago, it was an intriguing but highly expensive research tool. Now, falling costs, soaring accuracy and a steadily expanding base of scientific knowledge have brought genome sequencing to the cusp of routine clinical care.

The US$1,000 genome, initially conceived as a price point at which sequencing could become a component of personalized medicine, has arrived. “Our capacity for data generation relative to price has increased in a way that is almost unprecedented in science — roughly six orders of magnitude in the past seven or eight years,” says Paul Flicek, a specialist in computational genomics at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute in Cambridge, UK. The HiSeq X Ten system developed by Illumina of San Diego, California, can sequence more than 18,000 human genomes per year, for example.

Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) - The 'Buzzword' for Affordable Video Storage & Management Services

5th December 2015
The global market for Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) is projected to reach US$1.7 billion by 2020, driven by the growing demand for affordable video surveillance services.

Given that in-house video management and monitoring is becoming unsustainable, both from an operational and financial point of view, there is growing interest surrounding the ballooning concept of 'Video Surveillance as a Service' (VSaaS). VSaaS is a service provisioning business model where hardware, storage, management and monitoring services are offered under the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. For service providers, the recurring revenue stream provided by this business model is major benefit, as it offers a steady cash flow into the business.

For customers, the subscription billing based service delivery model offers unrivalled cost benefits and affordability. Increasing preference for low cost commoditized IT hardware and software is a major factor driving the popularity, importance and proliferation of recurring revenue-based business models. Other major benefits driving the widespread popularity of VSaaS include ability to mix and match video storage either in the in-house datacenter or in a cloud; remote management and monitoring of surveillance videos; eliminates the need for dedicated on-premise storage and other computing resources; significantly lowers CAPEX and OPEX; anytime, anywhere access to video footage on any device; and easy pay as-you-go payment model.

Business, Innovation and Skills Committee

3rd November 2015

Written evidence from Bikal Distribution GKB

Executive summary

• - The digital revolution and the change in the economy of where the opportunities are.
• - UK Academic research institutions and their ability to aid productivity through innovation.
• - Manufacturing in volume vs high quality and partnering with emerging economies who are driving manufacturing, by way of reducing dependency in China.
• - Requirement for the right skills pool through education and re-training.
• - The funding requirement for short, medium and long term planning.
• - Ageing population and cuts in welfare, leading to longer working lives.
• - Collaboration between industries and the move away from single product companies.

The organization
A UK company that provides software and devices to capture video, audio and big data. These can then create efficient processes, increase public safety and provide preventative healthcare. This is done by liaising with end users and using HPC and algorithms to process the data. We work through our network of global offices and partners to create localized solutions for local communities. We innovate product through the collaboration with universities

Modular data centres are greener

Nov 23rd, 2015, In Data centre, By Frank Brand – Associate Director,
Amsterdam can rightly claim to be one of the founding cities present at the birth of what is now called the ‘Data Centre Industry’ – the others in Europe being London, Frankfurt and Paris. The city continues to be a focus of attention for colocation and connectivity within the Netherlands and across the continent.

However, it is at the other end of the country in the municipality of Sittard-Geleen, where the most recent innovation in data centres can be found. Last month (Friday April 10th to be exact) saw the ground-breaking ceremony for what will become arguably the most energy efficient Tier III facility in the Netherlands.

The data centre is being built by ICTroom for the Belgian cloud services provider Cegeka and will initially provide 750kW of IT power and a design PUE of 1.14. It will integrate solar power to reduce its carbon footprint and it will make use of GEA’s indirect Air2Air cooling system which helps to reduce the cooling system's energy consumption by up to a factor of seven compared to classic cooling methods.

As with any technology, time tends to bring improvements and the data centre environment is no exception. Equipment is better designed: UPS systems running closer and closer to the theoretical maximum efficiency, air handling units which don’t leak air and generators with superior fuel economy. It is no wonder that today’s data centre has better green credentials than those built ten years ago.

Web-Services Giants Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Smarter Applications, Driving Explosive Growth in Machine Learning Workloads

Santa Clara, CA, USA, 13th November 2015. NVIDIA today announced an end-to-end hyperscale data center platform that lets web-services companies accelerate their huge machine learning workloads.

The NVIDIA hyperscale accelerator line consists of two accelerators. One lets researchers more quickly innovate and design new deep neural networks for each of the increasing number of applications they want to power with artificial intelligence (AI). Another is a low-power accelerator designed to deploy these networks across the data center. The line also includes a suite of GPU-accelerated libraries.

Together, they enable developers to use the powerful Tesla Accelerated Computing drive machine learning in hyperscale data centers and create unprecedented AI-based applications.

"The artificial intelligence race is on," said Jen-Hsun Huang, co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA. "Machine learning is unquestionably one of the most important developments in computing today, on the scale of the PC, the internet and cloud computing. Industries ranging from consumer cloud services, automotive and health care are being revolutionized as we speak.

Mega Trend: Cloud - Application Development and Data Move to the Cloud

Recent data from IBM Security Services shows 55% of all attacks were found to be carried out by malicious insiders or inadvertent actors

Bikal UKTI Trade Mission to Mexico City 7th -9th September 2015

	Bikal was part of the UKTI trade mission to Mexico City, Mexico. The mission was based around unbanisation, infrastructure and smart cities. The mission supported the Dual Year of Mexico and the UK which was created following President Nieno�s visit in March. On the mission we met with partners, end users and government departments.

Our overall strategy is to build local partners in the countries that we want to do business in. These partners then become part of the Bikal name and we forge closer ties through a range of innovation, case study references an exporting UK knowledge and technology. The knowledge can be in the form of innovation, management and research. The research will come from academic institutions and from ex-professionals in law enforcement and the military. Our case study references in security equipment deployment are transferable to the Mexican market. Mexico has a rapid rate of infrastructure development and so our deployments in security in cities, ports and law enforcement.

Press Release: ONVIF Expands Influence with 5,000 Conformant Products, 500 Members and 5th Profile

	SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA. – Sept. 21, 2015. ONVIF, the leading global standardization initiative for IP-based physical security products, is announcing that it has reached nearly 5,000 IP-based physical security products registered as ONVIF compliant,

grown to more than 500 member companies, and has developed its fifth profile specification - Profile A for advanced access control, to the industry for feedback.

These milestones signify ONVIF’s continuing development and influence as a major driver of interoperability in the physical security market. “End users in the industry and the broader consumer market now expect basic interoperability when they make purchases, and manufacturers are responding by making more interoperable products by using ONVIF’s specifications,” said Per Björkdahl, Chairman of the ONVIF Steering Committee. “We are proud to have reached these milestones in ONVIF’s growth and development and look forward to working with our members and the industry at large to continue to promote interoperability in the market.”

Data Privacy vs Crime Prevention

Data Privacy vs Crime Prevention
The big brother concern is something that is constantly in the news. Civil liberty groups have on many occasions highlighted breaches or methods of what they deem as an invasion of privacy. Some of the data privacy concerns are based on the change in terms of conditions, on things like social media websites such as Facebook, and others have been based on what the Police or law enforcement have done. For instance, a recent public event, an outdoor concert, created a furore as the police installed a temporary facial recognition system which was linked to a database for drug dealers across Europe. This did not go down well with the law abiding attendees of the event.

Therefore, the use of the technology is not the problem but the fact that law enforcement need to capture all data to then find the people that they are looking for from that data capture. The problem of the data capture is not always contested like this. Also, what is the difference of sifting through recorded images after the event and applying the same software to see who went? The data privacy invasion is the same but the effectiveness of law enforcement is reduced as the drug dealers would have committed the crime and more importantly could have led to injuries and fatalities that may have been preventable with earlier detection.

Walmart Shrinkage

Wal-Mart’s CFO announces 1.4% cost in annual results due to shrinkage
The retail behemoth has announced a charge which equated to 1.4% of their sales revenue. The presumption that the figure is accurate will still mean a cost of around $3-4 billion. The description of the losses has been based around outsiders stealing from stock rooms around the back of stores and customers stealing, paying for some goods and shoplifting some items. The CFO and company execs are asking the staff to be more vigilant and try to spot when theft occurs. Is this realistic for the staff to do, while they service customers?

Possible underlying causes
There are external influences such as the economic and social conditions of the region. Wal-Mart will, on the whole, provide access through their pricing to lower income groups. In addition, their business has a wider range of goods which may also attract theft as it allows a central place to acquire goods. This is of course all speculation. For instance, do Wholefoods or CVS have similar rates of theft and what are their policies or processes to reduce this loss?

Written evidence from Bikal Distribution GKB Ltd

Executive summary

• The digital revolution and the change in the economy of where the opportunities are.
• UK Academic research institutions and their ability to aid productivity through innovation.
• Manufacturing in volume vs high quality and partnering with emerging economies who are driving manufacturing, by way of reducing dependency in China.
• Requirement for the right skills pool through education and re-training.
• The funding requirement for short, medium and long term planning.
• Ageing population and cuts in welfare, leading to longer working lives.
• Collaboration between industries and the move away from single product companies.

The organization

A UK company that provides software and devices to capture video, audio and big data. These can then create efficient processes, increase public safety and provide preventative healthcare. This is done by liaising with end users and using HPC and algorithms to process the data. We work through our network of global offices and partners to create localized solutions for local communities. We innovate product through the collaboration with universities.

Smart Cities Data Management

Cities that don’t protect all data run the risk of collecting none
Data lies at the heart of many city services and smart cities are collecting ever increasing amounts of it. While cities use the data to streamline operations and make people’s lives easier, more people are seeing the efforts as creepy.

Experts say unless cities act now to move beyond good intentions to solid privacy policies, they could soon feel a huge backlash. They warn time is running out to take those concerns seriously. The drive toward smart city apps will bring the privacy issue to a head sooner rather than later.

Privacy trumps convenience
Imagine a city app that always directs you to the closest available parking space to your office. Sounds like a dream, right? Surveys show a growing number of people see that as a nightmare.For that app to work, the city would know who you are, where you work and when you arrive, among other things. Without safeguards on that data, people worry that sensitive data could be available to anyone and used in the worst possible ways.

Chinese smart cities MOU signed with UK Tech Company following UKTI Trade Mission

Bikal and Color Cube Technology of Kunming sign a MoU to exchange services, hardware and research for development of cross country smart cities technologies
	London, UK. 12th August 2015. A UKTI (United Kingdom Trade & Investment) trade mission to Smart Cities Expo Shanghai in September has led to the confirmation of a memorandum of understanding between two technology companies in UK and China. Bikal, which provides Smart Cities video management software, big data analytics and technology from academic research, is in the UK.

Color Cube Technology is an IT infrastructure company that works with leading Chinese construction companies which are building Smart Communities across China.

Bikal has been partnering with Chinese companies for three years. Their combined market scale offers opportunities for buyers in the UK to benefit from bulk manufacturing is already available to Chinese buyers.

Bikal is participating in the Tech in Brazil events during August 2015

Bikal is participating in the Tech in Brazil events during August 2015, with assistance from the UKTI in Brazil.

End of support for Windows Server 2003 begins on July 14, 2015. Are your customers ready?

Chances are, they may not be. With less than a month to go before end of support, according to estimates, there are still millions of servers running Windows Server 2003. It was the workhorse of choice for many years, but the time has come for customers to migrate to a newer, fully supported platform.

That’s where you come in. It’s a great opportunity for you to ramp up your business and support your customers through a major technology change. They’ll appreciate the help, and you’ll appreciate the way your business will grow.  

ONVIF Chairman Named to IFSEC Global’s Top 50 Most Influential People in Security

SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA. – July 1, 2015. ONVIF, the leading global standardization initiative for IP-based physical security products, announced that ONVIF Steering Committee Chair Per Björkdahl is one of IFSEC Global’s ‘Top 50 Most Influential People in Security and Fire,’ ranking number 17 on the list.

“I am honored that ONVIF is recognized as an influential force within the security industry,” said Per Björkdahl, Chairman of ONVIF’s Steering Committee. “ONVIF’s inclusion in IFSEC Global’s list is a testament to the increasing support of ONVIF’s standards and broader acceptance of interoperability as a necessity for the future of the industry.”
Public voting and a panel of judges from the security and fire-safety industries determined the ranking, with IFSEC Global asking voters to select thought leaders and pioneers from the list of nominees. In its announcement of this year’s winners, the publication cited ONVIF’s prominent role in simplifying interoperability.

Port of Fujairah Explosion Proof Surveillance Solution

Port of Fujairah, UAE Contractor: Topaz Engineering

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Requirement: London, UK. 12th September 2013. The requirement for the clients is a surveillance system to monitor the decks of oil tankers berthed at the new oil terminal, a system that will not cause fire in the hazardous atmosphere and yet be prudent to sniff for smoke before it could turn to a disastrous fire.
Solution: Products CCTV CAMERA AND EXPLOSION PROOF HOUSING: Oxalis and Sony
The Atex flameproof (EExd) closed circuit TV camera stations provided is for use in hazardous areas in offshore, marine and industrial environments. Certified for use in Zone 1 and Zone 2, Category 2G (Gas) and Zone 21 and 22, Category 2D (Dust), Group IIC T Class T4 to T6, the Atex series provides for all requirements of remote safety and surveillance monitoring in Hazardous areas.

UK Trade & Investment Smart Cities Trade Mission To China

Bikal CEO, Raj Sandhu, discusses Smart Cities at the Shanghai Smart City Expo with Huawei and BT, as part of UK Trade & Investment initiative

Panel includes: London, UK. 17th October 2014 UKTI as Chair BT (North East Asia), Digital China, Huawei, Clicks & Links and Bikal

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The panel discussed

• - Technology Convergence
• - Project Management
• - Big Data and Analytics
• - Security vs Privacy

Public Area and Street Surveillance

Urban environments often are important and vital environments where age old difficulties plus modern problems congregate. To at least in part assist deal effectively with providing safe streets for all, surveillance is a key to providing cost effective always on deterrent

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London, UK. 23rd areas of congregation for work and pleasure. These areas are sometime designated, like parks, and sometimes become popular due to location. For instance, strategically located street steps can become a meeting place, lunch area or some other form of recreation. City planners, law enforcement, councillors are just some of the agencies who have to manage these areas. Management occurs in real time (for instance for law enforcement) and historically (for council planners) for different reasons.

Surveillance within global towns and cities vary in weather conditions, congestion, human traffic and culturally which throw up challenges in using the correct equipment in the correct quantity. Infrastructure in wide open spaces is more difficult to implement than a city or town, but then cultural factors in some cities can make cameras labelled as obtrusive.

3G Body Cam for Emergency Services Training

Live viewing of multiple cameras on emergency services staff can aid reaction training for all types of emergency scenarios.

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London, UK. 16th October, 2012. Law enforcement, fire services and paramedics are three separate services who need to work in conjunction with one another for different aims. Usually, each service will conduct their own training and will come together for a specific event based disaster training. In London for instance this is based around the London Underground. Coordination of police, British Transport, Air and the metropolitan, as a first responder is key for initial reaction. Fire and ambulance crews will have an input based on whether the incident is ongoing or has finished. Essentially, there are hundreds of scenarios.

Surveillance within global towns and cities vary in weather conditions, congestion, human traffic and culturally which throw up challenges in using the correct equipment in the correct quantity. Infrastructure in ide open spaces is more difficult to implement than a city or town, but then cultural factors in some cities can make cameras labelled as obtrusive.

Shopping Mall rent calculations calculated using IP CCTV

A new shopping centre in Budapest used Bikal Eyesoft video analytic features to measure footfall and areas, which may not have been obvious, where people congregated.

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London , UK. 18th Oct 2012. Bikal Eyesoft was deployed, by one of its partners in Budapest (Pentolt), in a brand new shopping center. With many shopping centers there are management concerns for health & Safety as the shopping mall is owned by a landlord. The individual shops and stores are just tenants within a building that can house 20 to 200 individual stores. As with traditional established shopping streets, areas and districts (areas which evolved from the markets) there are shops that don’t work due to their own management and business type. However, for some businesses it is down to the rent and rates which are charged. For a new shopping mall that does not have the history, this rent setting is an important factor to maximize profit and maintain occupancy.

Farmers use M-CCTV via 3G & 4G to increase income

Bikal Mobile NVR Applications and related devices protect the Farmers stock and provide management benefits on crop protection

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London , UK. 22th Oct 2012. Rural regions are currently one of the lowest areas of internet density. They suffer from poor farmers and telecom companies who do not find the areas profitable – low number of users per square meter. The internet has changed all that. Farmers are beginning to cut out the middle man when selling their produce, can check actual market prices and sell to locations all around the world. Therefore, they are empowered to control their income and since it is more valuable, they need to secure it. The security is related to employees, fire, harvesting (use of automated machinery), crop protection, weather monitoring, livestock protection & control and many more.