Video  |  2020-08-20

Motorola Solutions Expands Video and Voice Technologies for Resource Industries in Australia and New Zealand

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI), has expanded its range of intrinsically safe solutions to meet the essential needs of Australia’s and New Zealand’s natural resource sectors.

The integrated video security and communication solutions enable industries to increase visibility and control across their entire operations, keeping workers safe and connected while maintaining watch over critical infrastructure.

The new Avigilon H5A Explosion-Protected camera line brings industry leading video analytics into an explosion-protected form factor. The camera is suitable for use in hazardous environments including oil and gas, mining and other heavy industrial sites and meets the same international IECEx standards as Motorola Solutions’ TETRA and DMR two-way radios.

The camera line includes enhanced object detection and tracking, along with support for Avigilon Appearance Search technology, an AI-powered search engine that can sort through hours of video to improve incident response times. It also features new Unusual Activity Detection to provide site-wide intelligence with the ability to highlight and flag any unusual movement or location of people and vehicles.

Next generation video and radio integration

Used in conjunction with two-way radios, video solutions provide a critical layer of additional situational awareness and safety for resource companies.

Radio Alert is a new solution that leverages video management software with advanced AI and video analytics to instantly dispatch alarms to two-way radios via text message.

The solution connects Avigilon Control Centre (ACC) software directly to MOTOTRBO radio systems, delivering real-time alerts related to video analytics, license plate recognition matches and access control events.

Martin Chappell, Motorola Solutions’ general manager of energy, resources and industrial sectors said resource companies are turning to advanced solutions to overcome new challenges.

“From having to maintain social distancing on work sites to maximising productivity and efficiency to protect the value of assets and commodities, times have never been more complex for the resources sector,” Chappell said.

“By adopting and integrating the right combination of voice, video and software solutions, resource companies can gain greater awareness of what’s happening across their vast operations while reaching new levels of safety and productivity.

“These sectors require powerful and durable solutions that can withstand the rigors of hazardous work environments and keep people safe when working near explosive materials.

“As video security solutions continue to evolve, more resource companies in Australia and New Zealand are realising the benefits of video analytics powered by AI to maintain security and operational efficiency over large coverage areas,” Chappell said.

Video analytics to protect workplace safety

Motorola Solutions has also delivered a number of new features to its video security and analytics portfolio to support organisations in maintaining safety and security around COVID-19 prevention, protection and response.

This includes updating Avigilon’s security cameras with analytics to help organisations detect whether employees are wearing protective face masks and maintaining physical social distancing and providing contact tracing capabilities within an organisation’s offices or facilities.

“Video security solutions are rapidly evolving to include advanced features that provide new capabilities, deliver greater efficiencies and help organisations to detect and even prevent security incidents, said Graham Wheeler, vice president for Avigilon’s Asia Pacific business.

“By receiving real-time updates on their radios, security teams and other staff can immediately acknowledge what has taken place and respond accordingly. The end result is faster response times, more effective use of resources and higher levels of overall security,” he said.

Motorola Solutions also continues to evolve its voice communication solutions for resource sectors. This includes providing advanced broadband push-to-talk (PTT) communications to connect radio and smartphone users as well as vital radio safety features including man down, geofencing, journey manager and lone worker applications.

Motorola Solutions works with a number of Australian and global resources companies, delivering a variety of advanced, mission-critical solutions for industry leaders including Rio Tinto.