Video Analytics 101: Bringing Edge-to-cloud Solutions to the Public Sector

Today’s government agencies are tasked with delivering quality services and opportunities to their constituents. From safer streets to improving access to public health, agencies are working tirelessly to help their communities thrive in the modern world. But they can’t do it alone; luckily, advanced technological solutions are here to help. For instance, edge-to-cloud video analytics tools promise to help government agencies make an impact — all while minimizing their spend.

“The application of analytics on top of the video that already is coming from existing infrastructure means that government agencies can get more out of their sunk cost by applying new technologies to what they've already got,” says Rob Risany director of edge AI solutions architecture at Intel Corp. “And that is a natural opportunity for any government agency leader to look like they're spending efficiently and are thinking forward about the best ways to drive improvement.”

But before agencies can effectively embed edge-to-cloud video analytics into their operations, it’s important to understand what these solutions offer.

The value of edge-to-cloud video analytics is simple: These tools can help agencies find answers to common problems, including tracking worker health and safety and whether someone is wearing the right types of protective equipment.

Beyond video capabilities, the edge-to-cloud component of these solutions can empower agency IT leaders to make quick and accurate decisions.

“A lot of the infrastructure that we're dealing with monitoring with video doesn't always have the same kind of bandwidth that's needed to backhaul that video back to the cloud,” Risany explains. “So rather . . . we can leverage edge processing on top of common analytic capabilities that can run right out on the edge.”

Edge-to-cloud solutions can be especially beneficial in helping agencies manage a crisis — for example, a network outage.

“[What if] something happens to the network infrastructure that's running your power grid that's attached to your highway management system? These kinds of areas, if they're disconnected from the network, still have to operate seamlessly,” Risany says.

Moreover, edge processing allows business to go on as usual -- in fact, even in the unusual circumstances of a disconnected world, edge platforms can continue monitoring, he says.

With edge-to-cloud video analytics, the opportunities for government agencies are endless. According to Risany, these solutions can drive meaningful outcomes in the realm of security, energy management, predictive maintenance and supply chain management.

In the world of logistics, for example, an ever-increasing truck-driver shortage is accelerating “a push toward smart highways and smart infrastructure, driving electrification into our highway system to support new ways of handling logistics,” Risany notes.

These industry challenges are changing how agency leaders think about the future — and it’s time they turn to technology to help them address these emerging needs.

Many organizations already use edge-to-cloud video analytics tools to address modern challenges. Take a look at Bellevue, Washington, for instance. The city leveraged edge-to-cloud technology to manage traffic and increase safety for drivers and pedestrians. With the help of analytics, city officials gained insight into how long it took for people to cross the street— and adjusted traffic light times as a result.

The city took already-existing infrastructure and overlaid machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence algorithms to create value where the system was starting to age. With minimal investment, city leaders were able to provide new capability and services to their citizens, says Mike Broadwater, vice president of the Technology Services Group at GAI.

“It's really powerful and impactful when you start thinking that taxes didn't have to go up to increase safety within a city,” he says. “That is something that I think everyone could take advantage of and start learning from.”

But this is only the beginning. Edge-to-cloud video analytics can do so much more to address our most pressing challenges.

One area particularly poised for disruption is U.S. seaports, Broadwater says.

“With all the ships that are backed up today, how do we get all those containers to the right place, in the right amount of time?” he says. “We have this backlog now, but taking analytics at the edge to help route where those containers are going to go [could] . . . create a more efficient dock system and help us with our current backlog at the edge.”

The case for adopting edge-to-cloud video analytics tools is clear. But how can agencies begin the road to implementation?

A solution-first approach is one way to do it, Broadwater says.

“What is the solution going to provide to the agency for the business or mission of that agency or department or division?” he says. “What are you looking to get from this deployment?”

Considerations around data and hardware ownership are also key. That includes determining who will own the data from smart video analytics.

“Who's going to control and maintain that data that's being processed? Is the output of that camera something that is now government owned, or is it citizen owned?” Broadwater adds.

Moreover, data privacy must remain a critical part of the conversation. In a smart city, cameras capture images of people walking across the street, so agencies must figure out what to do with that information.

“How long are you going to retain that data? Who is going to have access to that data outside of the intended use case? Are you going to be supplying that data to advertisers?” Broadwater asks.

Lastly, organizational leaders must seek to understand the ins and outs of the technology itself. Look at what type of infrastructure you have in place, suggests Chris Thomas, lead systems architect at Dell Technologies.

So, how can agencies take advantage of these solutions? Dell is partnering with Intel and other vendors to create purpose-built video analytics systems for public sector agencies. The application areas are vast, Thomas says.

“That can include doing positive identification, focusing on ID cards, and cross referencing that other database or sources,” he adds. “We've also done a number of different things, [for instance] using a drone to maybe fly out and assist a field agent or tie that back into even with some of the work around the pandemic in using thermal imagery and things of that nature.”

Of course, every agency has drastically different goals. An edge-to-cloud solution that works for one agency might not have the same impact at another.

“The key is [to] identify the use cases,” Thomas says. “It's not going to always be a one size fits all, [so] tailor the solution to meet those mission objectives and capabilities.”