SIA New Member Profile: SAFR from RealNetworks

New Security Industry Association (SIA) member SAFR from RealNetworks is a visual intelligence platform specializing in face and person-based computer vision optimized for real-world performance. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with a global presence in Latin America, the United Kingdom, Europe and South and East Asia.

SIA spoke with Paul DiPeso, president of SAFR from RealNetworks, about the company’s history and offerings, the security industry and working with SIA.

Tell us the story of your company.

Paul DiPeso: Rob Glaser – founder, chairman and CEO of RealNetworks – has long been intrigued with the nexus of media, computing and communications. Since founding Real in 1994, Mr. Glaser has played an integral role in the transformation of the internet into the next great mass medium. In 1995, under his direction, Real introduced the groundbreaking RealAudio, the first commercial audio streaming solution for the internet. This was followed in 1997 with RealVideo. RealNetworks’ RealPlayer is downloaded millions of times each month and is one of the most popular pieces of software ever created.

Continuing to build on a nearly 30-year legacy of digital expertise and innovation, in 2018 the company launched SAFR, the world’s foremost facial authentication platform for live video intelligence. In March 2022, we launched SAFR SCAN, the first computer vision access device built for broad market adoption. 

What solutions/services does your business offer in the security industry? And what makes your offerings/company unique?

PD: SAFR is in a unique position to revolutionize the access control market by offering a highly differentiated solution: a secure, touchless biometric access control device utilizing SAFR’s best-in-class facial recognition algorithms offered at a price well below competitive products. SAFR also offers a software only solution for surveillance watchlist that works with any IP camera and integrates with industry-leading video management systems.

What’s something we might not know about your company – or something new you’re doing in security?

PD: RealNetworks was a pioneer in streaming media and broadcast one of the earlier audio events over the internet, a baseball game between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners on Sept. 5, 1995. They announced streaming video technology in 1997. According to some accounts, by 2000 more than 85% of streaming content on the internet was in the Real format. RTSP, which is still widely used in security, was developed in 1996 by RealNetworks.

What is your company’s vision, and what are your goals for the security industry?

PD: SAFR’s biometric access control products provide a safer and more convenient world for all. We want to provide our customers with the ability to reduce traditional access control costs, while having confidence in SAFR SCAN’s ability to authenticate individuals and survey places of work, business, residence and public access.   

What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the security industry right now?

PD: The biometric access control market is a big opportunity due to the inherent security flaws in traditional access control. Using your face as your credential further solves problems with fingerprint and iris such as tracking tailgating.

What are the biggest challenges facing your company and/or others in the security industry?

PD: Facial recognition technology is widely known, but awareness on how it works is low, therefore creating skepticism. Consent is an important safeguard for most people, thus SAFR SCAN allows users to “opt-in”. Everyone that uses SAFR SCAN will be aware that they are using facial authentication, and they will be delighted by the experience.  

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association.