Telkom, South Africa’s largest integrated telecommunications company with over 400 stores, recently deployed the services of systems integrator Itec Digital to install Vi-System, Agent Vi’s real-time video analytics software, integrated with IP-cameras from Axis Communications.

Telkom sought a people counting solution with a comprehensive reporting structure to analyse footfall trends across the stores. They required accurate data regarding the number of people entering the stores across different time periods vs. revenue generated, to shed light on customer behavior at the stores.

At each Telkom site, 1-2 cameras (depending on whether there is 1 or 2 store entrances) from Axis Communications were installed and enabled with Vi-System to undertake people counting. As people counting draws the most accurate results when undertaken by cameras with a tilt angle (between lens position and ground) of 90 degrees, Axis M3203 (fixed dome network) IP-cameras were installed directly above the entrances / exits.

The Vi-Agent software component was embedded in the cameras. Itec Digital deployed Vi-System’s

“People counting” rule as well as configuring automatic reports from Vi-System’s “Advanced Counting Reports” tool, to attain the requested data. Agent Vi’s people counting solution provides valuable data to Telkom South Africa regarding the number of customers in each store.

Using Agent Vi’s advanced reporting tool, a daily footfall report is generated in each store, with presentation of hourly statistics. All the reports are sent to the Marketing Department at Telkom’s headquarters, and such data is imported into Telkom’s ERP system. […]