Body-worn cameras are becoming integral in the evidence management tool kit for law enforcement agencies across the globe. Those wondering when the technology will have widespread adoption need look no farther than Connecticut, where it is now state law.
As part of a recently passed Act Concerning Excessive Use of Force, the state received federal funding to purchase these cameras for Connecticut State Police. State troopers are receiving body cameras starting this summer, and their use is governed by the new law that stipulates recording will be activated by smart triggers, such as when an officer opens his door.

To help law enforcement agencies like those in Connecticut manage the massive volumes of data created by body and dashboard cams and city surveillance systems, Panasonic has  developed Unified Digital Evidence, a software technology to collect, manage and protect digital evidence. The new software solution offers a platform to gather and store digital evidence from the Arbitrator™ In-Car and Body-Worn camera platforms, as well as other sources, including fixed surveillance and a variety of digital media devices, increasing transparency and the flow of information, enabling a connected safety ecosystem.

Demand for professional video surveillance cameras has been growing quickly and is forecast to continue, according to IHS Markit. Less than 10 million cameras were shipped globally in 2006, and more than 130 million will be shipped in 2018, according to IHS data. In Newark, NJ, law enforcement leaders are embracing video technology as a public safety tool – to connect the community to crime determent.

The “Citizen Virtual Patrol” is a digital policing program launched to allow community members to virtually patrol their neighborhoods and to assist police in deterring criminal activity. Residents with a computer or tablet and Wi-Fi can tap into the program’s live-streaming network of 62 Panasonic cameras installed across the city, and are encouraged to call 911 if they see suspicious activity so officers can be dispatched to the camera’s location. “This invaluable technology puts a real-time crime reporting tool in the hands of every concerned community member,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in April. “It corroborates their story, helps us make an arrest, or possibly prevents something from taking place before it actually happens.”

Some 6,700 miles away, Japan’s Immigration Bureau has chosen a high-tech security gate to streamline departures and arrivals at one of world’s busiest airports. Introduced in 2017 Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport, the Facial Recognition gate uses deep machine learning and advanced software designed to detect fraud and to prevent unauthorized entry – and alert authorities in real time.

The Japanese agency adopted this technology to move people through immigration more efficiently. Developed by Panasonic, which has worked on facial recognition technologies for 30 years, the security solution can identify individuals even if they aren’t looking at the camera head-on, or are wearing a mask or sunglasses.


The system compares photographic data of the traveler's face from the IC chip embedded in the person's passport with a photo taken at the facial recognition gate to verify his or her identity, making it an appealing alternative to fingerprint recognition, which requires people to register biometric data in advance.

Such technology, combined with robust unified evidence management programs and sophisticated camera systems, promises to revolutionize security at stadiums, in hospitals, on college campuses, and at other high traffic venues where public safety is a priority now – and in the future.

At CES 2018, Panasonic announced plans to bring voice-integrated artificial intelligence to our cars via partnerships with both Amazon and Google Assistant, incorporating these smart platforms into next-gen infotainment systems. “Voice is the new UI,” Dave Isbitski, chief evangelist for Alexa and Echo, told a CES crowd.

Imagine this: Voice for everything, and everyone. It’s only a matter of time before voice search expands beyond translation, recipes and restaurant drive-thru orders to B2B queries such as, “What’s my competition doing or show me last week’s sales data trends.” Savvy marketers should be strategizing how they can be the first to answer.

The biggest benefit of voice is the ease of use. Pew Research reports that 46 percent of adults use smartphone voice apps, and 55 percent use them primarily to interact hands-free. A Forbes survey found that 90 percent of executives conduct research via mobile devices prior to making a purchase, and it’s inevitable that these decision makers will transition to voice search. Leading the way? Next-gen customers already relying on voice at home, on their commute and in their office.

What’s really interesting to think about is how to use voice with other disruptive technologies to create entirely new experiences. Panasonic Corp. of North America recently commissioned a research series, Moving Forward, on how CTOs and other decision makers see the impact of disruptive technologies. Three in five respondents are using the Internet of Things in their companies. Renewable energy, advanced materials, energy storage and artificial intelligence (AI) are each expected to be a near-term investment for two in five companies.

Artificial intelligence is vital to voice tech, and as AI evolves, it will have the capability to better match searches to more finely-tuned information that the business world often needs. Considering Gartner’s estimate that the buyer's journey is about 57% complete before the prospect wants to talk to a human, having voice embedded into that part of the journey as well as post-sale, can only deepen customer relationships. From start to finish, think voice.