AS TECHNOLOGY BECOMES MORE ADVANCED and ushers in a new era of safety and security, NCS4 developed both their National Sports Security Laboratory (NSSL) and the Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance to bolster their capabilities.
“Advancing technology is pivotal in helping to keep events safe and secure,” said Dr. Lou Marciani, NCS4 Director. “The Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance was created to foster education on current and new technologies, and promote best practices for safer and smarter schools, sport and entertainment venues and events.”
The Technology Alliance is the driving force for identifying innovative safety and security solutions through integrated technology design, development, and process enhancement with respect to sport venue operations management and associated first responder capabilities. Its primary goal is to test technology against use cases and threats to propose new advanced technologies.
“With safety and security capabilities top of mind with our customers around the world, Dell Technologies looks forward to our continued collaboration with NCS4 as we develop smarter solutions that keep global and regional events safer,” said Ken Mills, General Manager, Global IoT, Safety & Security and Computer Vision, Dell Technologies.
NCS4’s Alliance members research critical safety and security issues driven from the Department of Homeland Security, other agencies, and the National Advisory Council that need specific research treatment.
NCS4 currently has 11 Technology Alliance partners including NTT, Microsoft, Dell, Honeywell, Intel, Johnson Controls, Ameristar, Axis Communications, Babel Street, Genetec, and Hitachi.
“One of the most valuable resources we offer Technology Alliance members is full use of the National Sports Security Laboratory,” said Chris Kinnan, Manager of the National Sport Security Laboratory. “The National Sport Security Laboratory exposes practitioners and students to a fully outfitted research, training, and operation center with integrated safety and security technologies.”
Utilizing The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) three main sports facilities as extensions of the lab allows partners to explore solving the problems of today with the technology of tomorrow.
“Honeywell is honored to be part of NCS4’s Technology Alliance because our solutions can be tested in an independent lab environment which gives us access to meaningful data to improve the development of technology designed to help protect human life,” said Katie Hunt, Honeywell Customer Marketing Leader, Strategic Partnerships and Integrations.
Alliance members utilize the NSSL to install their technology for operations, research and training programs, which offers opportunity for security observation and practice, technology tests and experimentation, and evaluations of security solutions applicable to sports operations.
“Access to new research and new findings are leading to developments that are changing the way we think about protecting school and stadia, and we get to simultaneously collaborate with some of the greatest minds from global companies to keep the industry progressing quickly,” she said. “In a fast-paced world, agility and forward-thinking are of the utmost importance.”