Finalist: Guardian Solutions

Finalist: Guardian Solutions

By David Wexler

Associate Editor

As the threat of terrorism keeps the world on edge, organizations across the country with valuable commodities, sites like chemical facilities, water utilities and military bases, are increasingly turning to video cameras to protect their infrastructure.

The problem is that security guards employed to monitor the cameras lose their attention span quickly or focus on other things such as handling the radio, computers or telephones. In fact, studies show that under normal surveillance conditions, the human attention span lags after 20 minutes of watching security monitors. So if an intruder enters an unauthorized area, security guards are slow to respond - if they notice at all.

The mission of Guardian Solutions, a Bradenton-based developer of intelligent video surveillance software, is to make and sell equipment that monitors these facilities and fence lines.

Guardian's commercial products - GuardianWATCH and FenceWATCH - are designed to solve everyday security problems. Both products convert an existing camera system into an automated intrusion detection system that sounds alarms if intruders get too close. It watches in real-time, preventing security breaches from occurring before it's too late.

"It watches the cameras so you don't have to," says Andy Estes, director of engineering at Guardian, "and it does a better job of watching it."

The company launched its first product, GuardianWATCH, in 2002. For places on ground and on the water, GuardianWATCH provides automated and proactive perimeter intrusion monitoring, responder notification and event recording. Data generated by video and thermal cameras is processed in real-time to determine if any activity violates the user's security policy and procedures.

If it detects security problems, a real-time picture of the ongoing event is disseminated to security personnel, giving them real-time video of the intruder's location, direction the intruder is headed, the speed and exact time. Violations can generate a range of on- and off-site alarms and responses.

"The U.S is hanging cameras at a phenomenal rate," says Guardian president John Montelione. "They are hanging so many that it is impossible for people to look at all the cameras. The real trick is to capture it before it happens or at least while it's happening so that we can do something about it."

On the fence

Prior to launching Guardian in 2002, Montelione ran Sarasota-based venture capital firm New South Ventures with four other local entrepreneurs: Rob Campbell, Harvey Vengroff, Norm Worthington and Gary Arnold. When the venture capital business began to decline along with the tech boom, they each went their separate ways. Montelione focused on Guardian Solutions.

Montelione, a Boston native, created the company to target the security market with software using digital signal processing to differentiate between normal background motion and possible threats. Patents are pending for the software.

Montelione had a little help from his friends in launching the company. He received support from Russell Myers, a U.S. Department of Defense expert on information technology, as well as guidance from Takeo Kanade, founder of Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute.

With both financial and technical assistance – the Defense Department made a multi-million dollar investment – Guardian began developing an advanced signal processing system that incorporated detection and tracking algorithms. Besides government support, more than $5 million has been invested in Guardian through personal investment.

The company originally targeted U.S. seaport perimeter security, a market that has seen tremendous growth since 9/11. The company has already implemented its automated video surveillance in 12 seaports throughout the U.S. and Florida, including the Port of Manatee, Port of Pensacola and Port Canaveral.

The systems cost between $150,00 and $200,000, which includes installation and maintenance fees, Montelione says. Sales of the product have doubled every year since its inception.

Guardian has broadened its niche of applications over the past three years. In September, the company introduced its latest offering, FenceWATCH. It is a video surveillance product that converts existing fence line camera and digital video recorders into an automated intrusion detection system. The system is a subset of GuardianWATCH and can be used at any spot that has a fence line, whether it's a real fence line or imaginary fence line, Montelione says.

Finding the right engineers and technical support in the area has been challenging. The company now has 15 employees, including sales reps and engineers. To find the right help, it has had to go outside the area, especially when it comes to software engineers.

Guardian is constantly researching new applications and areas that could benefit from its software, such as facial-recognition technology. New products are not expected until at least this time next year.

Tech Time

John Montelione, president of Guardian Solutions, says succeeding in the business takes a combination of factors. One is to have a great team – both employees and those outside the company giving guidance. Another is to always remain passionate about the product and company.

And never let the naysayers and pessimists get in your way.

"If you look at the odds against you," he says, "you'll never do it."