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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

'Smart cameras' to replace human guards around Vatican perimeter

TEL AVIV — An Israeli firm has been contracted to help protect the Vatican with technology that would permit the downsizing of the security force.

Ioimage has been awarded a contract estimated at $5 million to install so-called smart cameras along the perimeter of Vatican City. Ioimage, based in Herzliya, has already installed the first cameras as part of a command and control system.

"A regular camera documents what's going on," Ioimage director Roni Kaz said. "Our cameras have settings that spot suspicious behavior, such as an attempt to infiltrate an off-limits area, the placing of a suspicious package, or even wandering."

Executives said the Israeli system would enable the Vatican to reduce its guard force.

In an interview with Israel's Yediot Aharonot newspaper, Kaz said his company would install cameras along the 60-kilometer wall that surrounds Vatican City, Middle East Newsline reported. He said this would include reconnaissance systems around all passage gates.

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"We got the contract after an examination that lasted three years," Kaz recalled. "The first cameras were installed in the Vatican in 2005 as a preliminary test."

Executives said the camera could detect unusual occurences at a distance of 150 meters. They said the camera was linked to an Internet-driven C2 system that could be accessed from any computer.

Ioimage, with 70 employees in Israel and the United States, was said to have a 37 percent share of the global smart security camera market.
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