AxxonSoft keeps an eye on the best World Cup in history

4 Apr 2019

From June 14 to July 15, 2018, the final part of the 21st FIFA World Cup took place in Russia. For the first time in Russian history, Russia became the World Cup's host nation and made tremendous efforts to put on a great tournament in every aspect, including event security.

From June 14 to July 15, 2018, the final part of the 21st FIFA World Cup took place in Russia. For the first time in Russian history, Russia became the World Cup's host nation and made tremendous efforts to put on a great tournament in every aspect, including event security.

32 teams from around the world played 64 matches in 12 stadiums located in 11 Russian cities. More than 3 million fans packed stadiums, while tens of millions more followed the action in fan zones and other venues set up for the championship games.

Members of the international sporting community repeatedly noted the impeccable level of organizing and hosting the World Cup. To wit, FIFA President Gianni Infantino labelled the 2018 tournament as the best in history. The competition didn't experience any incidents despite pre-tournament fears of hooligans while Russia delivered a positive experience to travelers to the event.

AxxonSoft made a significant technical contribution to providing security to World Cup participants and fans. AxxonSoft software was widely used at stadiums, training camps, fan zones, transportation infrastructure, and other sites where teams and fans arrived to and moved around the country. Moreover, AxxonSoft software was selected to create a network of operational headquarters for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) deployed specifically for the World Cup.

The Intellect PSIM platform was employed in various areas of 10 out of the 12 stadiums where 49 World Cup matches were played. The Intellect PSIM software managed more than 9000 surveillance cameras used to protect the over 2 million fans who attended these games.

In addition to video surveillance, Auto Intellect and Face Intellect software modules were deployed to conduct automatic number plate recognition and face recognition at stadiums' gates. Face recognition technology has already proven its effectiveness and is being implemented at sports arenas around the world. Andrey Khristoforov, AxxonSoft's commercial director in Russia, believes that this technology has a promising future in the sports industry.

"Face recognition can be applied in anti-terrorist security at mass events, to limit access to sporting venues to fans prohibited by legal action, and to link biometric data to seats in the stadium bowl (through tickets) should information be needed to investigate incidents or riots,"

— Khristoforov said.

The Intellect PSIM was used as the basis for the integrated video surveillance system designed to meet MIA's monitoring needs for World Cup sporting sites.

To that end, the Intellect PSIM software was connected to existing video surveillance systems at each of the 12 stadiums via a dedicated interface complex. Video streams from interface complexes were transmitted to MIA operational headquarters set up in each host city. MIA operational HQs also received video from official city fan zones. In turn, information made its way from regional HQs to the video walls at MIA's Main Situation Room in Moscow as well as the Center for International Police Cooperation in Domodedovo.

In addition to securing sporting arenas, AxxonSoft solutions are used throughout Russia in energy infrastructure, public transportation, "Safe City" projects, international airports, at customs terminals, and on high-speed railways. AxxonSoft takes great pride in knowing that not a single serious incident took place during the World Cup in Russia on its watch.