In Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam, the Deutsches Haus office tower opened in September 2017. It’s the country’s first building to earn LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) Platinum environmental certification and serves as a cultural, commercial and diplomatic hub in the region. Next to the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany the 25-story building with a 40,000-square-metres floor area is home to regional offices of international firms such as VISA, Adidas, Schneider Electric, and Bosch Vietnam. It features a gourmet cafe, multifunctional conference and events area, health club, and rooftop restaurant.
From a security manager’s perspective, this multi-use blend of diplomacy, business, and leisure facilities – in a building fully accessible to the public – creates challenges for security. As the seat of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Deutsches Haus’ security systems, including security guards, have to be approved by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. Deutsches Haus stands opposite from the Consulate General of the United States of America – and in close vicinity to the Consulate General of France and the British Consulate General – on a busy intersection between two main streets. Therefore, monitoring pedestrians and automobile traffic on the building’s perimeter is just as crucial to end-to-end security as tracking public and high-security areas on the inside.
Deutsches Haus managers knew that high-definition cameras alone would not suffice. The reason: When several hundred cameras are required to secure an area of this size, personnel tend to be overwhelmed by the amount of video feeds. An average operator misses important scenes, as studies have proven. For this reason, IP security cameras feature Intelligent Video Analytics – using algorithms and AI-based image recognition – to support operators by detecting security events automatically.
Bosch covered the building and its perimeter with network security cameras featuring Intelligent Video Analytics. Indoor areas like the entrance doors, reception area, lobby, café, as well as parking garages and corridors to the fire escape staircases are monitored by over 170 DINION IP starlight 7000 HD and FLEXIDOME IP panoramic 7000 MP cameras. The building’s elevators are also covered by Bosch cameras. Thanks to built-in-intelligence, IP cameras automatically alert security staff of illicit behaviour, such as instance persons accessing restricted areas.
The perimeter and parking lot have outdoor-approved AUTODOME IP starlight 7000 HD cameras with pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ). Integrated with a third-party solution to open barriers for authorised vehicles, the cameras can automatically track moving objects such as cars and pedestrians – and warn personnel of threats – with their 30x zoom lens while obtaining images under low light via Bosch starlight, used with Intelligent Video Analytics. As a key requisite, the networked cameras are able to withstand the city’s four-month rain period and prove resistant to vandalism.
PAVIRO, the Public Address and Voice Evacuation system of Bosch was installed in the building for safety. Staff can announce and notify a building guest about a forgotten purse which was left in the café; for example. As for building evacuations, PAVIRO provides phased evacuation: automated messages direct occupants. Building occupants and guests can also enjoy music in the rooftop restaurant, café, health club and event areas. For the building owner, PAVIRO can establish long-term cost-saving and minimize total cost of ownership. The system is especially eco-friendly because fewer amplifiers are needed due to power-load sharing of the amplifier architecture, which in turn requires fewer batteries.
Ryan Lower, Property Director, Colliers International – Deutsches Haus, said: “I am proud to have Bosch both as a tenant and as a brand who secures Deutsches Haus with their high quality and reliable video security cameras and sound systems.”
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