We are excited to announce that Cisco Meraki has been positioned as a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Video Surveillance Analytics 2021 Vendor Assessment report. Cisco Meraki was recognized for both capabilities and strategic vision for video surveillance analytics in this quantitative and qualitative research assessment. 

The IDC MarketScape report recognized Meraki MV smart cameras for their ease of use and breadth of out-of-the-box analytics. With storage and processing on every camera, MV smart cameras provide a complete solution for customers. This architecture—along with seamless cloud management and edge analytics—provides organizations with immediate value while eliminating the need to purchase, install, and manage separate servers and storage. This allows customers to realize immediate value from MV smart cameras.

Intelligently creating safe environments

To stay on top of an ever-changing security landscape, organizations need more efficient ways to process video data. Video analytics allow security operations to scale by processing data faster than the human eye. MV smart cameras process video on-camera in real time for motion, and use machine learning-based computer vision to detect:

• Objects—including people and vehicles 
• Audio—including sirens and alarms

These analytics are critical for keeping physical security teams aware of potential incidents and speeding investigations. 

To support safety when video isn’t being watched, analytics information about people, vehicles, or sound (sirens, alarms, or general noise level) can be combined to improve alert quality and reduce alert fatigue. After an incident, organizations can benefit from Motion Search, which relies on motion and object detection data to speed investigations by providing relevant video clips in a matter of seconds, rather than forcing users to scrub through hours of video. Results are delivered as Motion Recap images—composite images formed entirely on-camera—that summarize an event in a single frame and further reduce time spent reviewing video. 

Spaces made smarter with video

Beyond security use cases, MV camera analytics provide organizations with insight to improve processes and operations—creating a better experience for employees and customers. In-dashboard analytics, like Motion Heatmaps and people and vehicle detections, provide insight into patterns and trends—helping organizations optimize staffing and workflows. 

The IDC MarketScape report recognizes that the Meraki platform offers organizations the ability to leverage analytics data to customize and adapt solutions to meet their specific needs. With the flexibility to use real-time analytics data from cameras via API or MQTT, advanced use cases like PPE detection, office occupancy, and line queueing can be addressed easily. The Meraki partner ecosystem has 70+ apps built on MV analytics data that can be “deployed quickly, significantly reducing the customer’s time to value,” according to the report.
Download the report excerpt to learn more.

This article was contributed by SES-imagotag, a Meraki technology partner.

Physical stores are the last place retailers can still get the full attention of their customers. But too often, the potential of a store is overlooked. Instead, they are seen as cash-draining, data-poor, and low-margin assets. At SES-imagotag, we help physical retailers transform their locations into highly automated and data-driven digital assets. No matter where you are in your digital transformation journey, we can help.

As a pioneer of retail IoT devices, we have been constantly extending our technology and solutions—offering a broad range of ultra-low-power IoT devices, including electronic price tags, video rails, shelf-edge wireless minicameras, and more! All of our devices are connected and managed via our VUSION Cloud Retail IoT Platform, thus offering advanced monitoring and prevention functionalities while enabling connections to countless applications through open APIs. They are also natively integrated with Cisco Meraki access points, meaning zero additional hardware investment and a highly competitive total cost of ownership. 

By leveraging our VUSION Cloud Retail IoT Platform along your digital transformation journey, you can create significant value for your retail business: 

Increase in-store efficiency 

• Automate prices through real-time updates and seamless promotion execution
• Optimize stock replenishment and order picking
• Increase sales by detecting out-of-shelf items in real time

Improve shopper engagement and experience

• Activate QR codes for better in-store interactivity  
• Display rich content at the shelf edge
• Guide customers to the product they are looking for 

Generate new revenue streams 

• Partner with brands to run campaigns in stores 

If you’re interested in learning more, feel free to stop by our booth (#5425) at the National Retail Federation trade show in New York, January 16-18, 2022. Visit the Meraki Marketplace to learn more about the SES-imagotag app or request a demo.