In preparation for the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government has invested considerably in surveillance technology, according to a story in today’s New York Times. A sophisticated and interconnected system is being installed by companies such as Honeywell, General Electric, United Technologies and IBM.
An earlier story in the New York Times noted that there’s a growing surveillance industry in China, with police monitoring Internet cafes, streets and places of worship. While there’s acknowledgment that London has the world’s largest system, the story indicates that China will soon have a much more extensive network.
Honeywell makes video systems and cameras. General Electric makes cameras and video recorders. United Technoogies sells fire and surveillance systems. IBM markets a Smart Surveillance System or S3 that automatically combs through information collected by digital video cameras.
I’m sure that Intergraph’s security business has a role here as a subcontractor. The combination of video within a geospatial view is a compelling application, particularly in a network of such a large size. I tried digging into Intergraph’s involvement today, but their website is down.
The IBM S3 system cross references and analyzes the digital information, and raises alarms if it identifies suspicious activity. The move to digital surveillance makes this machine automation possible.
I’m fascinated by the ubiquity of these systems and the increasing sophistication of machine monitoring. These systems have technology implications for the sensor web, and virtual reality. With considerable investment there’s going to be a great deal of innovation in this market over the next few years.
The privacy concerns seem to be outweighed by crime reduction, particularly in western countries. The human rights record of China will have western governments looking twice, particularly if these systems are being used to quell dissidents.
