Drones
As Switzerland’s leading exhibition and event location, BERNEXPO makes significant investments in visitor and site protection. Through a ground-breaking partnership with Swisscom Broadcast, it is now using drone-based surveillance for digitised and automated protection of its site.
BERNEXPO is rising to the challenge of keeping its site secure in an ever-changing world. Thousands of people visit the site every year to attend a wide range of events. In 2024, BERNEXPO will further expand its capacities with the opening of the new Festhalle. To keep the growing site secure, the live marketing company has opted for digital solutions with a particular focus on automated monitoring services. As Tom Winter, chief executive of BERNEXPO, explains: “Security is of the utmost importance. To maintain this, we rely on a raft of protective measures, including Swisscom Broadcast’s automated drone-based perimeter protection.”
Dominik Müller, CEO Swisscom Broadcast and Tom Winter, CEO BERNEXPO
Today, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and digitisation are leading to more efficient solutions for the protection of infrastructure. Drone surveillance solutions, for instance, can be used to monitor the site and reduce the frequency of cost-intensive security guard patrols. The autonomous perimeter protection solution used by BERNEXPO is a full service solution supplied by Swisscom Broadcast. According to Swisscom Broadcast CEO Dominik Müller: “The drone flights are monitored remotely by our Operation Control Center. In the event of any unusual activity, security officers are notified immediately. This is a highly efficient, resource-saving option for BERNEXPO.” The flight video data can be analysed in detail to gain a comprehensive overview of activities on the large-area site.
Stringent regulatory requirements apply to the use of drones. Authorisation from FOCA is required to fly drones commercially without visual contact. For a safe flight, the drone must remain connected at all times. Swisscom Broadcast uses special tools to calculate and predict the quality of mobile communications for each flight path. The risks, both on the ground and in the air, are minimised by the use of aggregated data from the mobile network.
“We have developed a dedicated drone operation dashboard specifically for BERNEXPO”, explains Dominik Müller. “Every flight can be tracked.” Before starting an automated surveillance flight, trained drone pilots have to confirm the fly clearance checklist in the dashboard to trigger take-off. By combining advanced solutions and consistently adhering to the highest safety standards, Swisscom Broadcast ensures that autonomous drone flights can be offered as a full service package.
"We want to achieve a successful digital transformation and greater security efficiency. To do this, we need a strong partner with a digital mindset and a reliable network at our side. This is precisely what we found in Swisscom Broadcast."
Tom Winter, CEO BERNEXPO
The partnership between BERNEXPO and Swisscom Broadcast demonstrates not only both companies’ commitment to innovation, but also the critical role of digitised security solutions in a rapidly evolving world. Drone-based perimeter protection is a prime example of successful collaboration between a leading venue and an innovative provider of digital physical security solutions. Tom Winter: “We want to achieve a successful digital transformation and greater security efficiency without compromising on quality. To do this, we need a strong partner with a digital mindset and a reliable network at our side. This is precisely what we found in Swisscom Broadcast.”
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