Jupiter Systems

Jan. 14, 2021 - Being in the industry for 40 years, Jupiter Systems prides itself on having dealt with a multitude of special situations and providing effective and functional solutions to solve the problem at hand. We are pleased to say we can provide the technology and manpower to handle any occurrence that may require that extra bit of seamlessness and collaboration. This is why when the US Capitol needed the ability to employ expedited surveillance, communication, and collaboration, we were the first ones in line to provide that for them.

In 2019, Jupiter Systems and 12+ companies were asked to design and provide a new Security Command and Control Center in Washington D.C... The first phase of the new Command Center project was installed throughout the National Mall area from May-December 2020. The design goals were to update an antiquated system to the latest cutting-edge technology where the various sources would all culminate on the Jupiter Systems Catalyst XL display controller in the Command Center. In order to manage the content on the video wall the Catalyst XL was driving, Jupiter Systems Canvas Collaboration Software was installed on the Catalyst XL, allowing operator workstations both local and remotes sites to access the various sources and provide a common operating perspective no matter where the sources were accessed from.

On January 6th, 2021 the day the Presidential Election Electoral votes were to be certified by Vice President Michael Pence at the US Capitol, no one expected the new Command Center would be put to the test. As the day progressed, more and more protesters continued to gather outside the US Capitol as the scheduled time for the certification approached. As the widely publicized events of that day unfolded, various government agencies were manning the new Command Center, utilizing the Jupiter Systems Canvas software they were recently trained on. With the new powerful capabilities of Canvas first responders, multiple government agents and police personnel could now see the sources being monitored at the Command Center at their locations, thus providing real-time visibility to aid in the dispatching of forces to quell the agitated protesters or to evacuate government officials to safety. Operators, officers and other agents were able to easily and quickly access ultra-high-definition camera feeds, analytic tools for detection, and many other sources used to identify areas of concern within the crowds around the US Capitol and other secure areas. As areas of concern were identified, various features such as annotation and others within Canvas were used to highlight these hotspots for all to see so everyone was not only seeing the area/person of interest, but able to add their own flagging as needed to the sources. With this new video wall solution, high resolution cameras and analytical tools at the agency's disposal were able capture incredible clear detail of individuals of interest that had not been possible previously.

Since that day, the Command Center system has continued to be used not only for real-time monitoring of sources on the wall managed by the Catalyst XL and Canvas, but also for after event review of footage captured and source data to identify individuals as they moved throughout the Capitol. This priceless information and data have expedited the identification of suspects when and where they entered the US Capitol and vandalized it along the way. Without the Jupiter Systems Canvas software and Catalyst XL display wall controller, this level of visibility to create a common operating perspective would not have been possible and the time to respond both during the event and afterwards would have taken significantly longer. Response time of ground forces to subdue the protestors and rioters would have been less effective and resulted in more damage to government property.

The National Mall is a sacred historic area of our nation that must be secured and knowing that the Jupiter Systems solutions are held at the highest regard to aid in providing this high level of security while maintaining an easy-to-use solution such as Canvas is something to be enormously proud of. When security is paramount, end-users can have peace of mind that the Jupiter Systems solutions are up to the task no matter what the challenge.

By Craig Stumbaugh