Equip casinos with better eyes on the floor

Editor / Provider: Tevin Wang | Updated: 9/21/2012 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Casino operators will not change their entire systems simply to implement HD capability. Hybrid video solutions are the logical path to provide a phased migration from SD to HD systems. The key to any upgrade/migration starts with careful planning for the design. “If not done properly with a plan in place, you can run into quite a few problems,” said Douglas Florence, Business Development Director for Global Gaming, Avigilon.

One of the main challenges in casino gaming environments remains to be the HD PTZ control latency issue. “The expectation continues to be that digital should be superior to analog and therefore, increasing latency for HD PTZ seems to be a backward step,” said Scott Paul, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Pelco by Schneider Electric. “The number one request is ‘analog-like' latency for PTZ control with HD PTZ control. I would not actually call this an ‘outrageous' request as it is quite expected to want fine responsive control for PTZ activity in a busy gaming environment, but understanding the technology behind HD video and how it is delivered to the user, it is easy to appreciate how this is not a simple hurdle that can be overcome overnight. Through operator training, adjusting the HD PTZ cameras to use the lowest latency codecs and correct network design, we have been able to get customer acceptance on this issue.”

Bit rate and recordings are challenges as well. “In most cases, if an HD camera is streaming at 20 to 50 Mbps, very few would have pockets deep enough to buy the storage required for these types of cameras,” added Scott Bartlett, CEO of Southwest Surveillance Systems.

Having an IP-based system that can integrate with an existing network goes a long way. Still, IP camera integration/compatibility with VMSs remains a key issue and challenge for the industry. “Most major camera and encoder manufacturers are now adopting ONVIF-compliant standards for IP device detection, transmission, telemetry and recording, which is making it much easier for integrators and end users to confidently deploy new IP cameras,” said John Katnic, VP of Global Gaming at Synectics. “Unfortunately, standards like ONVIF and PSIA are evolving and changing constantly and VMS and IP device manufacturers are often developing to different versions or only partially comply with the standards' specs. Moreover, the standards leave out some very important criteria that can cause a big disconnect with expectations. For example, how IP cameras and VMS are supposed to manage audio, alarms, a second or third recorded stream and onboard SD memory, are not clearly defined by ONVIF.”

Integration-Friendly
Fewer but better tested and documented changes/upgrades of the cameras would be helpful for system integrators as there are often new compatibility issues popping up in casinos. Also, it is rather imperative that the user and supplier agree on what exactly ‘integrated' means and precisely define what functions are expected before choosing a camera and VMS combination, according to Katnic. “And once settled on a particular camera and firmware version, avoid the temptation to roll out the newest bleeding edge software update without thoroughly testing the new firmware revisions with your existing VMS. Small firmware changes can cause big compatibility problems.”

Having a proprietary solution is not the best thing for casino owners. Hybrid solutions will be an unavoidable path to HD, and systems integrators will have to learn to be something more than just a re-seller of a manufacturer's equipment to be considered a true systems integrator. “The days of having proprietary casino solutions are soon to be gone and those left standing in the casino space will have the ability to integrate with each other.” Bartlett said.

Proceed with Eyes Wide Open
There is no doubt that the superiority of HD IP picture quality will charm and convince users to spend what it takes to achieve it. “It is important to remember that just because it's new IP technology, it doesn't mean it's better for every application or that it will do everything that your analog system did,” Katnic said. “At best, they're different technologies and users are likely to encounter both pros and cons. IP system will not necessarily be as resilient, fast or functional as the old matrix.”

Hybrid infrastructure, cameras and command and control interfaces should all be carefully planned and must be carried out with caution.

Watching over gaming tables with HD

Editor / Provider: Tevin Wang | Updated: 9/20/2012 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Faced with challenges such as false claims, theft, game scams, money laundering and drugs, casinos are upgrading their surveillance and security systems to ensure safety for all. Many casinos, to date, are still tied to analog solutions. “Of the hundreds of thousands of cameras monitoring and recording the 700-plus gaming properties in North America, we estimate less than 10 percent are currently IP and, even fewer are full HD (1080p) IP,” said John Katnic, VP of Global Gaming at Synectics. Pace of migration varies. “In North America, most new builds are opening with IP infrastructure, or at least a hybrid combination.”

According to Scott Paul, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Pelco by Schneider Electric, Neveda is changing. “Roughly 25 percent of the operators are fully digital. The remaining have yet to make the transition to digital or HD.”

“The casino and gaming market is expected to experience a gradual increase between 5 to 10 percent in network video surveillance product sales through 2014 in North America,” said Steve Surfaro, Security Industry Liaison, Axis Communications. “The gaming industry is one sector where the adoption of IP-based technology has been slower. As this market continues to accept and adopt network cameras, the market share for analog cameras will shrink approximately 2 to 5 percent. The Gulf Coast in the U.S. will be a prime target for system upgrades in a few years, especially in Mississippi and Louisiana. Native American gaming in Mississippi and Alabama is also expected to drive considerable growth. The Oklahoma gaming market continues to upgrade from analog to IP with virtually all new installations on the gaming floor using IP video. You even have certain local gaming commissions, like the South Dakota Gaming Commission, who are mandating that any table with US$100 or more limits must be covered by HD cameras.”

Avigilon is optimistic about the HD drive. “If we take into account that more than 500,000 analog cameras are operating in North American casinos and the total number of units worldwide likely exceeds 1 million, that translates to huge growth potential for HD,” said Douglas Florence, Business Development Director for Global Gaming, Avigilon. “HD adoption has picked up greatly since 2007 when we first saw a few Native American casinos install their first megapixel or HD cameras.”

Other conditions for business development have improved as well. “Lower TCO for complete HD systems, cheaper storage technology, and vendor policies that avoid charging recurring software licenses all help with the growth,” Florence added.

Follow the Money
Cash cages, registers and table games are where most HD deployments are found. “Game tables, slot machines, cashiers, PoS terminals and the vault are usually monitored by HD systems while standard definition (SD) IP cameras focus on remaining areas,” said Scott Bartlett, CEO of Southwest Surveillance Systems.

Being able to visually confirm currency denominations or hands is a bare minimum, Katnic said. “Table games benefit by being able to distinguish a queen of spades from a king of clubs from a ceiling-mounted camera 20 feet away. This is particularly true of fixed cameras because operators can digitally zoom in to an HD shot with less pixilation compared to a fixed analog unit.”

HD resolution is best suited for when money is being handed out. “It provides much better visual information for card handling, money exchanges, card identification and chip values,” Surfaro said. “HD is very well-suited for dispute resolution when discrepancy between the cashier and the patron arises. The use of HD cameras and redundant coverage on ‘high stakes' slots and tables is also becoming a ‘standard' as recognition of negative behavior like card counting is much easier.”

According to Paul, entry and exit points are other “hot spots” for HD solutions as most casinos have excellent relationships with local authorities and are frequently requested to provide quality footage for identifying people of interest.

HD solutions might be more widely used if the cost is justified by the content being monitored. “Most demonstrations start out at table games, and once security directors experience the clarity HD cameras provide, the desire to add more HD products grows. HD cameras have been added to areas such as restaurants, count rooms, casino entrances and parking areas,” Florence said. The investment pays for itself when operation executives learn that they can make a more informed decision on a dispute or reduce false liability claims.

Legal Issues
In the U.S., continuous real-time recording is mandated for all gaming activities, and the minimum duration is seven days. However, many casinos opt for longer retention times for various operational and security reasons. “Retention requirements vary by country, state and what's being recorded or viewed,” Katnic said. “A few states, like Wisconsin, require 30 days of recording for all cameras. Most others, including Nevada and other major gaming jurisdictions, require a minimum of 7 to 14 days. Some regulators require 14 days for gaming, cages and count rooms and just a week for slots, parking lots and so on. Singapore and Macau casinos typically require 30 days of retained video for gaming areas.”

Most regulations were drafted around analog technologies, and there are few specific requirements in relation to a particular HD resolution such as 720p or 1080p. “The standard across most international, regional and local regulations is that the video produces 30 fps to provide real-time monitoring,” Florence said.

Most operators, thus, choose said frame rate for almost everything, according to Paul. “Nevada requires 30 fps for a minimum of seven days for gaming operations and 2 to 7 fps for nongaming. Live viewing is always 30 fps. Everything digital is required to be redundant and as failsafe as technically possible.”

Redundancy and resiliency are crucial, as lost video can result in fines from $100,000 to millions. “We see requirements like RAID configuration on storage, but not specific to RAID 5, 6 or otherwise,” Bartlett said. “But there are more stringent requirements in Nevada that require no more than eight gaming cameras to a piece of hardware such as a network switch. This is in order to avoid catastrophic failure. We have gotten around this requirement with redundant power supplies, fans and the like. Again, the more resiliency, the better for casino applications.”

Winning Big Ain't Easy
Budget remains one of the biggest hurdles when considering upgrades. In this economy, the best option may be to phase slowly from an analog system to a hybrid system. Solution providers need to provide a simple, scalable migration path. “Most casinos currently implement hybrid/IP infrastructure using SD which allows them to leverage existing analog matrix technology,” Paul said. New system architecture needs to align itself with existing system design.

Another challenge with HD is the processing power of each camera, as not all HD cameras are as powerful as manufacturers claim. “We are seeing HD deployed in the gaming and money areas only. The drivers are the technology itself. We need to maintain a high frame rate with HD streaming on multiple channels,” Bartlett said. “A typical casino would like to have 10- or 20-megapixel cameras that can send multiple streams at 30 fps, but that isn't going to be feasible in a while. We are starting to see more 3- and 5-megapixel cameras and higher frame rates, but are still away from mass adoption. Once the technology ‘catches up' and can meet those needs, you will see a lot more HD deployments.”

SLOC bloc expands

Editor / Provider: Submitted by Intersil | Updated: 9/17/2012 | Article type: Tech Corner

Intersil Corporation announced the expansion of the Intersil Techwell SLOC (Security Link Over Coax) ecosystem. Intersil has worked closely with global technology leaders to address the need for increased security worldwide and reasserted its commitment to the next-generation video surveillance system solution.

The SLOC Ecosystem
Expanding the SLOC ecosystem brings the technology's various benefits to a wide range of systems and applications. Intersil has joined forces with nearly 100 global companies, including Sony, Altronix, and Hikvision, to create a SLOC ecosystem for standardization and solution awareness, designed to accelerate the global adoption and implementation of hybrid IP-based security systems for the video surveillance market. Simply Smarter Security

System integrators and manufacturers can now architect an efficient hybrid surveillance system that addresses all of the technical barriers, while enabling all of the benefits of IP networked cameras and network analytics. Intersil's SLOC is an innovative modem physical layer technology that enables high resolution mega-pixel and HD IP-based cameras to operate within the existing analog CCTV coaxial cable infrastructure without the need for new cabling. SLOC consists of a camera transmitter and a DVR/NVR receiver, a combination that enables high-performance and robust bidirectional communication between the camera and the video recorder over long cable runs.

Benefits and Features
- Supports distances up to 500m of coaxial cabling, eliminating the need for repeaters - Provides an instant upgrade path from SD quality to HD and Mega-pixel resolutions
- Enables digital IP camera functionality on existing coaxial wiring infrastructure with no disruption of existing CCTV services
- Embedded analog CVBS (color, video, blanking, sync) video enables latency-free live viewing and controlling of digital IP cameras
- No need for new wiring or cable modifications provides significant cost and resource savings

Quotes
"Altronix continues to engineer and manufacture innovative solutions that support the latest industry trends in IP surveillance deployment," said Alan Forman, President, Altronix Corp. "Intersil SLOC technology, in conjunction with our eBridge series Ethernet over Coax Adapters, provides extremely cost-efficient migration path from analog to IP functionality by repurposing legacy coax infrastructure."

"The video surveillance market is entering a critical transition to higher resolution video," said Xuefeng Qian, Research and Development Director of Hikvision. "To meet these market demands, Hikvision collaborates with technology leaders to provide solutions for industry challenges. By integrating Intersil's SLOC solution inside our adaptors, we enable an additional feature set for Hikvision's cameras and hybrid DVRs, thus solving frustrating issues inherent within digital and analog video."

"Enterprises are looking for the opportunity to upgrade to higher resolution solutions in a way that is economical and that can be implemented using a phased approach rather than a single large capital outlay," said Susan Hardman, Senior Vice President of the Analog & Mixed Signal Products Group at Intersil. "Developed by Techwell, SLOC technology utilizes the coaxial cable in the existing infrastructure, transmits the new IP-based digital data and still provides the analog signal - all out of the same camera - thus tremendously speeding adoption."

Axis cofounder celebrates his 50th birthday

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 9/17/2012 | Article type: Security 50

Martin Gren, co-founder of Axis Communications and IP camera inventor and pioneer celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. A company visionary, Martin Gren has had 19 years of engineering and entrepreneurial experience and is currently a member of the board of Axis AB, the Swedish parent company.

Over the years, Mr. Gren has been the driving force behind several of Axis' new business and flagship products in Europe, Asia and the United States. These have included network print servers, IBM connectivity products, ASIC's and scan servers as well as playing an instrumental part in Axis' state-of-the-art business today in particular its network video camera technology.

Phil Doyle, managing director, Axis Communications, said: “Martin has been a fundamental part of Axis' success over the last decade and continues to drive the company forward through research, development and technological innovation. We wish Martin many happy returns on this milestone birthday.”

Georgian metro ensures travelers peace of mind with Qnap solution

Editor / Provider: QNAP Security | Updated: 9/14/2012 | Article type: Infrastructure

Background
Tbilisi Metro, operated since December 1966, is a rapid transit metro system in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. At present, the system consists of 2 lines with 22 stations. Constructed at the depth of 100 meters underground, Tbilisi Metro is one of the deepest subways in the world. Many people in the city depend heavily on Tbilisi Metro for daily traveling because of its convenience.

Challenges
From the perspective of surveillance system deployment, the environment of Tbilisi Metro is quite complicated. As the metro is built underground 100 meters deep, it requires advanced deployment that could support strong network connection. Hence, optical fiber is used for any network appliance in the metro system to fulfill the demands of high-speed intranet connection. On the other hand, being one of the busiest public transportations, Tbilisi Metro is always crowded with people, and the need for an intensive surveillance system deployment is necessary to provide people a safer environment.

The original surveillance system that Tbilisi Metro used was gradually outdated and failed to satisfy the need of monitoring a greater number of IP cameras. As a result, Tbilisi Metro started to look for new surveillance solution that could carry out superior performance of smooth video streaming from a large number of IP cameras.

Solution
Taking system performance and reliability of video/audio streaming as the first priority, Tbilisi Metro chose QNAP Security surveillance solution to upgrade its security system infrastructure, with totally 27 units of QNAP VioStor NVR VS-8040 deployed. The 8-bay NVR VS-8040, powered by Intel? Core? 2 Duo 2.8 GHz CPU and installed with eight 3TB hard drives, offers up to 24TB large storage capacity for long-term recording and presents remarkable performance with maximum 360 Mbps throughput to support simultaneous monitoring and recording from 40 IP cameras. The demand of Tbilisi Metro for an intensive surveillance deployment was well satisfied.

The security administrators were always busy and under pressure. A device with easy-to-manage and simple-to-use interface was the key concern for Tbilisi Metro. Even without much IT expertise, the security administrators could easily learn how to manage the VS-8040 and the installed IP cameras through the handy user interface. The work efficiency was therefore greatly improved.

"This is the second big project we adopt QNAP Security products, and the experience and result are still satisfying and impressive," said the managing engineer of GESCO Group. "The VS-8040 has delivered quality performance of video streaming and stability, which right fulfills our demands for the sophisticated surveillance environment."

Result
QNAP VioStor NVR VS-8040 effectively supports Tbilisi Metro's demand for monitoring a large number of IP cameras at each critical corner around the metro stations. Tbilisi Metro now provides people with enhanced protection with the assistance of QNAP Security surveillance solution. While additional line of Tbilisi Metro is under construction, the newer VioStor NVR models VS-8100 Pro+ series and VS-8100U-RP Pro series are considered in future deployment. Both models, available in 48, 40, 32, or 24-channel, are equipped with more powerful Intel Core i3-2120 processor and deliver better performance on video and audio streaming from multiple channels. While supporting up to 48 channels monitoring, the VS-8100 Pro+ series and VS-8100U-RP Pro series provide an ideal surveillance solution for Tbilisi Metro's need for wider scope of IP camera deployment, fulfilling closer look at Tbilisi Metro's security.

SoCal movie theater chain simplifies security management with Next Level

Editor / Provider: Next Level Security Systems | Updated: 9/13/2012 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Next Level Security Systems, a developer of a new breed of unified, networked security solutions, announced that Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, the fourth largest movie theater in the world, has deployed the NLSS Gateway at two of its theaters in Southern California. Cinepolis deployed the NLSS Gateway at its sites in La Costa and Ocean Ranch, Calif., to integrate multisite video surveillance and access control into one easy-to-use solution.

Cinepolis is leveraging the NLSS Gateway to control three levels of employee access permissions and manage video streams from Sony IP cameras. Cinepolis is also using people counting — available through the NLSS Gateway's built-in analytics — for additional ROI. The theater chain analyzes the data from the analytics to determine high- and low-traffic periods to develop targeted marketing campaigns to boost attendance.

“After I saw the first demonstration of the NLSS Gateway, I was confident this platform was the ideal solution for our new locations,'” said Marc Russo, IT Manager, Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas. “The legacy systems we used in other locations cannot even come close to what is delivered with the unified security management platform from Next Level. With the NLSS Gateway, everything feels modern; it feels the way a security solution should.”

The NLSS Gateway is a unified security management platform The latest version, Gateway 3.0, features a built-in facial recognition and detection analytic that allows users to create or upload an image database to be searched against across multiple cameras for potential matches. When a match is detected, an email or mobile alert can be sent to the user-defined contact.

“The NLSS Gateway enables Cinepolis to unify security management across multiple locations while leveraging the built-in analytics to do more with the video they are already capturing,” said Pete Jankowski, Chairman and CEO, Next Level Security Systems. “The NLSS Gateway allows the company to reduce theft, control liability and increase safety while helping their marketing department flex its muscles.”

US storage container retailer enhances security and business operations using Verint solution

Editor / Provider: Verint Systems | Updated: 9/13/2012 | Article type: Security 50

Verint Systems announced that The Container Store – the nation's originator and leading retailer of storage and organization products – is deploying its Nextiva IP Video suite, including such solutions as video management and video business intelligence software, IP cameras and encoders. With these integrated capabilities, the organization will have the tools it needs to further its focus on customer experiences and workforce optimization, along with the ability to support other key retail operations requirements, such as loss prevention and security.

The Container Store operates 57 retail locations across the country, offering its customers more than 10,000 time- and space-saving solutions to organize every area of their home or office. The Container Store's commitment to its values-based business philosophies that it calls its Foundation Principles and its employee-first culture has landed the retailer on FORTUNE magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" for 13 consecutive years.

As the retailer has transitioned to an IP infrastructure and expanded into new and existing markets, it has continued to invest in supporting solutions focused on the customer experience, its employee-first culture, business performance and loss prevention. As a result, the Verint Nextiva suite has become a key foundation to furthering its customer and employee engagement and security strategies.

The Container Store's investment in the Verint Nextiva solutions began in January 2012 and has continued to include new store installations, existing store upgrades and an implementation at the company's headquarters in Coppell, Texas. In all, Nextiva has been selected as the standard platform to manage video operations for its retail chains across the U.S.

“At The Container Store, we pride ourselves on offering customers innovative and functional storage and organization solutions to help them simplify their lives, save space and save time. As we build upon our success, world-class customer service, exceptionally trained employees and open communication will remain critical,” says Joan Manson, VP, loss prevention, payroll, benefits and legal, The Container Store.

Adds Manson, “Being able to keep our stores secure, empower our employees and provide high-caliber customer experiences remain core to our philosophy. We believe that Verint Nextiva is an investment in our retail stores, our employees and our customers. Information is power, and the intelligence derived through Nextiva will enable us to make faster, better decisions about our customers' wants and our business needs, all in a safe and secure environment.”

The Nextiva IP Video portfolio goes beyond loss prevention to provide retailers with the security and business intelligence solutions they need to help increase sales and secure assets, improve workforce productivity and heighten customer satisfaction. With Nextiva, retailers can capture and analyze shopper movement patterns to enhance customers' in-store experiences, gain operational efficiencies and increase conversion rates. Such capabilities as People Counting, Queue Management and Retail Traffic Analytics provide intelligence into customer traffic, shopping patterns and behavior patterns, along with high-traffic areas, dwell periods and line queue wait times. Such insight also can be used to drive marketing and merchandising, as well as staffing and scheduling decisions.

American Dynamics HD IP series adopts Theia 5-MP telephoto lens

Editor / Provider: American Dynamics | Updated: 9/13/2012 | Article type: Security 50

American Dynamics, part of Tyco Security Products, has added Theia's SL940 megapixel telephoto lens to their lens offerings for their new Illustra 600 Series HD IP dome cameras.

American Dynamics selected Theia's SL940A 9 to 40mm, 5 megapixel, IR corrected lens as their telephoto offering with their Illustra 600/610 indoor/outdoor mini-dome cameras. The lens provides a unique combination of features in an unusually small package. With a 9 – 40mm focal range the lens offers a powerful optical zoom for high detail images far away and full 5 megapixel resolution for crisp detail in a compact 50mm length which fits perfectly in the Illustra's sleek mini-dome envelope.

According to Steve Carney, Director of Product Management-Video of Tyco Security Products for American Dynamics, "The addition of Theia's SL940 extends the reach of our HD cameras and expands the versatility of the Illustra IP camera line. With the 9-40mm lens, and a super high quality poly carbonate bubble on the mini-dome, this new camera can greatly reduce the need for costly trenching. Customers often pay significant costs to dig for cabling when typical cameras can't reach where they are needed. With 40mm of IR corrected lens, and a bubble that matches the lens in clarity, our cameras can now reach hundreds of feet from a mounted position on a building.”

The SL940A joins its sister SL183A lens, already offered with the Illustra series cameras. The SL183 lens employs Theia's award winning Linear Optical Technology to provide up to 117 degrees of undistorted horizontal field of view (HFOV) on the camera's sensor, enabling coverage of more area with a single camera, potentially reducing the overall cost of HD and IP system ownership. The SL183A is also only 50mm long.

According to Carney,” Theia's family of ultra wide non distortion lenses offer advantages in that they deliver the best wide angle image quality without barrel distortion or vignetting. They provide greater image resolution at the edges supporting improved motion search and other analytics functions. Just as with the integration of the SL183 with our Illustra mini-domes, American Dynamics is excited to extend its partnership with Theia Technologies with the integration of the SL940. From the widest of angles to the longest of shots, we are proud of the quality and versatility we offer our customers with the blend of Illustra megapixel expertise and Theia lens technology.”

IndigoVision zooms in with new 1080p HD PTZ

Editor / Provider: IndigoVision | Updated: 9/13/2012 | Article type: Security 50

The new BX500 HD PTZ Dome camera from IndigoVision provides customers with a high-resolution camera that is both ONVIF conformant and fully compatible with IndigoVision's Security Management Solution, SMS4. The camera, which is equipped with powerful optical zoom, enables customers to install a 1080p HD camera, with audio capability that benefits from the complete IndigoVision solution including its distributed architecture. Cameras can be located anywhere on the network and streamed to many users without the need for a central server. This distributed architecture enables a security system to be expanded easily and eliminates the single point of failure risk of central servers.

Speaking of the camera's versatility, Juan Salleg, President, EGC COLOMBIA, a major telecom company, said: “The new IndigoVision BX500 HD PTZ Dome provides us with a trusted ONVIF HD camera suitable for use in large outdoor areas where it can zoom in with great precision on specific areas and details. Working alongside IndigoVision's existing camera range, it also allows us to maximise the benefit of the complete solution.”

With a 20x optical zoom, the BX500 HD PTZ excels in the most challenging indoor and outdoor lighting conditions incorporating an auto mechanical IR filter for true day/night functionality. Designed to meet requirements for use over low bandwidth connections and with dual streaming functionality, it offers the ability to view and record locally in high resolution, as well as using a lower bitrate for remote viewing. User configurable resolution, framerate and bitrate are all part of the camera's in-built versatility, making for ease of use and adaptability for any network. The BX500 HD PTZ also allows customers to view live and recorded video from the camera within IndigoVision Control Center, SMS4's user interface.

The external camera has an IP66 rating for use in outdoor environments and a temperature rating of -30℃ to +50℃ (-22℉to 122℉). The internal version can operate over PoE, reducing installation time and costs. The BX500 HD PTZ Dome is a further expansion to IndigoVision's BX camera range, which includes HD Minidomes and an HD Bullet camera, and works seamlessly with the full IndigoVision IP camera offering and with SMS4.

Virginia private school leverages access control and video integration from Next Level

Editor / Provider: Next Level Security Systems | Updated: 9/12/2012 | Article type: Education

Next Level Security Systems announced that St. Mary's Catholic School has deployed the NLSS Gateway as its new security management platform. The school is leveraging the NLSS Gateway to integrate the campus' access control and video surveillance into one easy-to-use solution.

“We strive to provide the ultimate level of security for our students while also remaining visitor-friendly and maintaining the character of our school,” said Janet Cantwell, Principal, St. Mary's School. “We saw the opportunity with Next Level to do something unique, enhancing our current capabilities with state-of-the-art technology.”

St. Mary's, a 700-student elementary school in Alexandria, Va., has previously struggled with its traditional lock and key system to temporarily grant access to parish groups that commonly use the school facilities after hours. The NLSS security management platform, coupled with HID Edge readers, now secures the school's access points while eliminating the need to distribute and recollect keys from outside groups.

In addition, St. Mary's installed an NLSS HD Media Decoder, a networked media appliance that can display multiple HD video streams simultaneously to a single monitor in a variety of layouts, with a 32-inch flat screen monitor in the administration office. The decoder provides the staff with a clear view of the video streams from Axis Communications IP cameras to ensure the safety of the school. The HD monitor has caught the attention of parents. “We get a lot of ‘ooohs' and ‘aaaahs' when parents see the video display,” said Ann Ross, Office Manager, St. Mary's School. “We've traditionally been very conservative, so the deployment of Next Level's technology has been an exciting and beneficial change for us. It also lets the parents know that we take security seriously.”

“Integrating their surveillance with cutting-edge access control makes St. Mary's a pioneer in private school security,” said Pete Jankowski, Chairman and CEO, Next Level Security Systems. “Combining all available information into one easy-to-use platform enables the staff to make more informed decisions, leading to safer environments.”