There is an old saying among those involved in customs and port inspection: "The eyes cannot see." What that means is that simple visual inspections have never been truly adequate. Fortunately, the technology is available today to conduct thorough inspections capable of detecting all types of threats. Alco Advanced Technologies has mastered the logistics and the technology to solve the vexing problem of port inspection, with the first solution capable of inspecting 100% of all import and export containers. Using state-of-the-art X-ray, gamma ray and radiation detection technologies, the Alco Container Scanning Service is truly comprehensive.
Manual Scanning? No More.
Most ports do their own scanning on a manual basis. Those that have invested in electronic scanning equipment normally have a capacity of fewer than 25 percent of the volume of imported containers. Most ports have a very small margin, and would find it difficult to finance an environment that electronically scans 100 percent of all containers.
The 100 percent inspection goal is no longer just theoretical. Both increased threats and government mandates mean that this has to be done—and it has to be done now. But achieving this goal has presented significant challenges. The port must achieve 100 percent inspection, while still maintaining the flow of traffic. A great risk is that achieving that level of comprehensive inspection would cause backlogs to occur. Import and export activity would slow down, and businesses would suffer from an unfair delay and undue expense.
Alco's automated technologies solve all of these problems—creating an environment that:
Scans 100 percent of all containers Improves the flow of traffic through automated procedures Keeps costs to importers and exporters down Allows ports to meet the 100 percent mandate
In-house versus service-based scanning
The lack of specialized service providers has meant that many port authorities purchase scanning equipment directly, hire and maintain their own staff of inspectors, and manage the entire port scanning process themselves. The fact is, when this in-house model is used, the port authority must undertake a large upfront investment, and the results are seldom. Ultimately, while it is true that Port management will usually have the knowledge and expertise necessary, having the resources and manpower to fully manage inspection is another story. Port management's expertise is better utilized from a strategic point of view, rather than in carrying out the tactical mechanics of port inspection.
Take as an analogy for example, the owner of a commercial building. Typically, an owner of a large commercial building subcontracts out the management of the building and facilities, and specifically, building security. Large commercial building owners would very seldom take it upon themselves to hire their own security staff, and purchase their uniforms, guns, and other required equipment; instead, they contract with a specialized security company that has personnel that has already been trained in security protocols. Alco Container Scanning Service is similar—the Port contracts with Alco to provide for necessary scanning, not only relieving the Port of the burden of running its own scanning enterprise, but also turning it into a profit center for the Port. Alco supplies all required scanning equipment and trained personnel for scanning 100 percent of the entering containers.
Generate revenue No upfront investment Create a secure port environment 100 percent of all containers scanned No additional employees required for scanning No conflict of interest ( auditor cannot perform their own audit)
Products
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The 1000 Series line of embedded Digital Video Recorders from ALCO Advanced Technologies features of both a digital video recorder and a digital video server (DVS) using H.264 compression technology. It can function as a stand alone unit, and also be use to build a powerful surveillance network. The 1000 Series operating system and MCU are embedded into the flash memory to ensure the most robust and stable environment for security operations. The 1100 Series DVR’s are custom developed to provide the highest level of ATM surveillance security.         Alco offers an array of mobile recorders tailored to specific applications. Use the links below to view datasheets pertaining to your area of interest.         The 3000 Series Digital Video Recorder from ALCO Advanced Technologies brings you the the highest level of security through an easy to use interface with powerful and flexible recording configurations. Using software compression with models from four to sixteen channels, the 3000 Series is designed to suit a wide array of critical applications. Building upon the same powerful design as the 3000 Series, the 3100 Series lineup of DVR's adds robust hardware data compression technology for efficient use of the the systems' resources as well as higher frame rate and video resolution.               The Alco 4000 series Hybrid Digital Video Server (HDVS) is the ultimate in video recording system for your surveillance needs. Alco developed the 4000 series to be cost effective while incorporating features that put it far ahead of the curve of other systems by utilizing the most advanced technology in video/audio encoding/decoding, hard disk record and TCP/IP.         Alco hosts a large array of cameras for any application. Our cameras meet the highest standards of quality and durability and include, domes, PTZ, day/night, high resolution box cameras, mini cameras and more.