Genetec Announces Airport Sense—Taps Into Existing Security Cameras and Sensors to Provide Operational Insights

New analytics solution offers a deeper understanding of airport operations and passenger flow to create a seamless traveler experience from drop-off to take off

Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, today introduced Genetec Airport Sense™, part of the Genetec Airport Practice Group. This advanced operational analytics solution relies on data provided by an airport’s existing security infrastructure, including cameras, sensors, and various detection devices to produce actionable intelligence about airport security, operations, and passenger flow. By accessing and analyzing both structured and unstructured data from these untapped security information sources, airports can extend their security investment. Airport Sense is available now from any Genetec certified channel partner.

Until now, airports have traditionally relied on standalone, unconnected systems to manage passenger flow and security. By analyzing and correlating data provided by multiple sensors such as video surveillance cameras, access control hardware, and IoT connected devices, Airport Sense gives airport security and operations managers, business analysts, and airport executives, a deeper understanding of what’s happening in their facilities. This allows them to make timely, informed decisions to improve the passenger experience and increase revenue for duty-free, retail, and food services in the airport terminal.

Essential elements for a safe, easy-to-navigate, and profitable airport include understanding how people flow from the parking areas, check-in, duty-free and retail shops, in-airport cafes and dining areas. Airport Sense combines and processes correlative data to help airport managers understand this traffic in order to design a seamless, hassle-free traveler experience resulting in increased brand attachment, venue and airline loyalty, and positive business growth.

By relying on powerful analytics such as queue detection and delays, heat mapping, directional analysis, and people counting, Genetec Airport Sense pinpoints hindrances to the flow of passengers in ticketing, screening, and passport control—and can identify where wait lines build in areas such as duty free, dining, entertainment, and pre-boarding.

Through intuitive web-based dashboards and dynamic maps, security personnel, operations and business analysts, and retailers stay informed of real-time activity and compare it against key performance indicators (KPI) or historical trends. With timely, relevant information on hand, they can take instant action to address a variety of situations, such as managing over-flowing queues, reallocating staff to deal with peak times, and more.

Airport Sense helps airports better understand passenger flow in retail and dining areas, leading to enhancements in terminal layout. By sharing insights such as traveler behavior and footfall with retailers, airports guide their customers on layout and product placement decisions.

“Today, air travel is much more than just transporting a passenger from one place to another. Airports are now thought of as ‘small cities’, and must provide a safe and efficient experience, from parking, check-in, and exposure to world-class shopping and dining,” said David Lenot, Airport Practice Group Leader at Genetec.  “The challenge for airports is to offer this amazing journey while delivering an environment that’s safe and secure, with operations that run like clockwork. That’s the guiding vision behind Airport Sense: to give airports the tools they need to get a clearer understanding of their business, and give passengers a seamless experience—from drop-off to take-off,” added Lenot.

Airport Sense is one aspect of the larger Genetec airport portfolio of solutions. While Airport Sense delivers greater intelligence on passenger flow, the open-architecture Genetec™ Security Center platform delivers advanced unified security management, and Genetec Mission Control™ offers collaborative decision and event management. Combined, these three powerful Genetec systems allow airports to craft a flexible and comprehensive strategy for security, operations and commercial success—enabling different stakeholders to rely on a common set of tools and data.