Idis launches bundled VMS

Editor / Provider: Idis | Updated: 5/21/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Idis has announced, during Ifsec International, that it will bundle Idis Center VMS at no extra cost, as part of its DirectIP HD video surveillance solutions. The bundled offering provides customers with a complete VMS to install, configure, integrate and operate DirectIP solutions without licensing fees or complexity.

“VMS has too often become synonymous with cost and complexity within the industry. By bundling IdisCenter we are offering customers a true one-stop-shop solution without the need for expert IT or network skills, nor the cost involved in buying and renewing software licences,” noted Brian Song, MD of Idis.

Idis Center provides customers with plug-and-play management software to install and operate network cameras, NVRs and servers. Through an intuitive user interface very similar to that of traditional analogue systems, users are able to view live video and playback simultaneously. Idis Center further provides real-time event notification to improve incident response times, as well as a panic recording feature. The system provides easy and fast installation and configuration of up to 1024 devices and enables hassle-free maintenance via remote software upgrades.

Song commented, “This further builds on the Idis commitment to deliver simple, cost effective end-to-end HD video surveillance through our DirectIP solutions, all built on the quality and performance Idis customers the world over have come to expect.”

Milestone signs on UK distributor Oprema

Editor / Provider: Oprema | Updated: 5/21/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Oprema have secured the rights to distribute Milestone Systems open platform IP VMS as part of Milestone's strategic decision to work with specialist IP security suppliers in the UK. Milestone XProtect software has been keenly welcomed by Oprema's existing client base, and it is anticipated that this collaboration will further new business interest for the Cardiff based security distributor.

Oprema have been championing IP technology for a number of years, and it is for this reason that Milestone has added them to its exclusive UK distributor list. Oprema will offer not only the full suite of software products but will be hosting Milestone Certified and Milestone Professional training courses as the only authorised independent Milestone Systems training center in the UK. The training courses will cater for first time users through to experienced users looking to broaden their knowledge. The training will also include configuration, set up and use of supported hardware.

Milestone was Oprema's desired partner for IP video surveillance software because it is scalable and easy to use. Customers will be able to purchase software licences only or as part of a custom built server solution offered by Oprema.

Oprema's MD Matthew Epps commented, “We are delighted to be offering such a high-end and well regarded product as Milestone XProtect with our IP solutions. The agreement is a significant one for us, and shows how much of an impact Oprema are making in the market place, in moving the trade towards IP by offering cost effective packages as well as high-end solutions to suit any budget and application. Milestone fits in perfectly with its complete range of software options from XProtect Go right through to XProtect Corporate.”

Glenn Fletcher, Country Manager UK & Ireland for Milestone, adds: “Milestone Systems are happy to have Oprema on board as a new UK distributor. They will be able to help with technical training and server designs, leveraging the Microsoft and IP skills that they already have in house. Oprema are also our gateway into Wales as a distributor, which was another key reason for selecting them to be part of our expanding Milestone UK team of partners. We aim to grow together in the coming years as the Milestone open platform VMS approach continues to be embraced in the UK.”

Since the agreement was signed in January 2013, Oprema have successfully won a number of projects with Milestone VMS pre-loaded on Oprema's in-house manufactured servers. This is ensuring that the partnership is a winning combination for UK installers by offering a cost-effective solution with the highest level technology available on the market today.

Tennessee rehabilitation center keeps recovering residents in check

Editor / Provider: Sponsored by Qnap Security | Updated: 5/20/2013 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Recovery Ranch, located in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., is a special rehabilitation center for clients with addictive, eating or mood disorders, or in need of psychosomatic recovery for improved quality of life. The ranch employs 160 therapists and administrative personnel, serving more than 75 clients at a time, with 24/7 care for different treatments; hence, it is a large facility with residents of diverse backgrounds.

The ranch encompasses two sites: the main campus with two buildings and a new campus with six buildings, individually located one mile apart. On land stretching over 2,000 acres and multiple campuses, it is necessary to have a powerful surveillance system to secure the community and archive records of any incidents that occur. The two original buildings, dated back to late 1800s, were not designed with network wiring. Also, they had unstable power supplies due to the age of the buildings and the location in a rural area, where bad weather could easily cause a power outage. Therefore, wireless became very important, and a good mechanism to sustain system power supply was essential, too.

Moreover, Recovery Ranch required 16 to 18 cameras installed around the campuses and a system able to store videos for two to three months. Prior to the installation, Recovery Ranch surveyed CCTV and DVR solutions, but all lacked advanced management functions and did not have sufficient storage capacity.

Road to Recovery
In the end, Recovery Ranch turned to the Qnap VioStor NVR surveillance system because of its robust, IP-based design and the many unique management features. Two units of VioStor NVR VS-6020 Pro, powered by dual-core Intel Atom processor, were installed on each campus, monitoring 25 VIVOTEK fixed domes and Mobotix fisheye cameras. “Qnap NVRs definitely play a central role in the video security for Recovery Ranch, as this is a one-stop solution that is well-integrated with multiple brands of IP cameras and hence can fulfill very diverse indoor/outdoor monitoring requirements,” said Jeff Chase, IT Manager. “Moreover, the system is very scalable in camera deployment, and with free software updates, it is open to more features at no additional cost, making it a future-proof investment for many years to come.”

The VS-6020 Pro supports high-quality H.264, MPEG-4, M-JPEG and MxPEG recording, and can efficiently stream videos wirelessly while maintaining high-megapixel image quality. In addition, the 6-bay VS-6020 Pro accommodates up to 24-TB storage capacity to satisfy Recovery Ranch's needs of storing videos for up to three months. The VS-6020 Pro also solves the problem of unexpected power outage. With support for UPS devices, the VS-6020 Pro is programmed with USB-connected UPS to ensure 24/7 service. Detailed event logs of system warning, network disconnection and the UPS status are also recorded for diagnosis. What Recovery Ranch favored most was the intelligent video analytics. By using the motion detection algorithm in playback mode, the security administrator can set up areas of interest and time frames for the NVR to automatically find events of interest. It is, overall, less labor-intensive than manually watching each channel at 16x fast-forward play. It is quick to review — for example, an individual, in a specific area, at a certain time of the day — the day's video, and reviewing evidence is more efficient than ever.

Since the two units of VioStor NVR VS-6020 Pro were installed, the ranch has required little maintenance. The Linux-based operating system and RAID storage volume are very reliable; at the same time, it is more power-efficient than running the VMS server on a PC. Therefore, Recovery Ranch does not have to keep the PC running 100-percent of the time. It shows power consumption changes from 200W to 43W (with six HDDs installed) in average, resulting in up to five times of savings in utility. “The VS-6020 Pro is an easy-to-use and intuitive product, enabling the security administrator to fully utilize the features of the surveillance system. We can spend less time on IT, and more time on running the center,” Chase concluded.

Sponsored by:

Milestone VMS integrated into Tdsi access management platform

Editor / Provider: TDSi | Updated: 5/17/2013 | Article type: Security 50

The new EXgarde 4.1 version of integrated security solutions manufacturer TDSi's access control software features integration with Milestone's Enterprise and Corporate VMS. From a single IP-enabled access portal, security operators are able to use EXgarde 4.1's Explorer to directly monitor CCTV feeds via Milestone's XProtect Corporate or Enterprise software range, tagging events and using video verification whilst also controlling the physical access control of automated doors. EXgarde 4.1 also integrates directly with Microsoft Active Directory, so physical security systems can be directly synchronized with logical security and the central business facility database can provide an overall view of any situation.

TDSi's MD, John Davies, commented, “EXgarde 4.1's integration with Milestone's software means security operators can take advantage of its wide scope of video surveillance solutions to provide exactly what they need. With our software at its heart, any business can directly link and manage its entire security enforcement from one place. With direct links to CCTV feeds (through Milestone's software or TDSi's own VUgarde2 CCTV management software), along with input from Texecom's alarm systems, EXgarde 4.1 can then collate this information and rapidly advise security staff. At the same time, as users gain access their location is logged with Microsoft Active Directory, which is the keystone to many modern build control systems. Any security breach can also trigger IT system protocols that control the level of access available in certain areas, to minimize the possibility of unwarranted removal of data. This offers a superb way to integrate physical security with the IT security systems to provide a total picture of organizational security”

EXgarde 4.1's integration with both Milestone's XProtect Enterprise and Corporate VMS is part of a wider drive to unite traditionally disparate components of business security. Recognizing the power of compatible systems, TDSi and Milestone's systems are designed to be highly complementary to one another, providing excellent results and superb value for money. In the case of the CCTV integration, users can view live video from any camera within the EXgarde Explorer window, so an incident reported by the access control system, for example, can immediately be investigated visually.

This is further enhanced by the ability to use Video Verification, whereby when specific events are generated (e.g. access is denied on a reader) a window will pop-up displaying live video from a chosen camera. The operator can then choose to unlock the door from the pop-up window if they are certain access should be granted.

Integration with Milestone's systems is also ideal for event tagging and compliance. Specific events can be tagged as they occur (or during playback) so an incident can be thoroughly investigated. This makes the review of recorded footage simple when the tagged events occur in the event list the recorded video can be played back corresponding to the event timestamp.

Indiana police deter criminal activity and vandalism with IP eyes

Editor / Provider: Avigilon | Updated: 5/16/2013 | Article type: Government & Public Services

The Pittsboro Police Department (PPD) in Pittsboro, Indiana has deployed a HD surveillance system with remote monitoring capabilities to monitor key areas across town to reduce the threat of criminal mischief, vandalism and boost community safety. The comprehensive system consists of an Avigilon panoramic dome, VMS, and analog video encoders.

“We have had a few incidents of vandalism and even assault in the past that we were unable to successfully investigate because of the lack of coverage and poor image quality of our previous analog-based surveillance system,” explained Lieutenant Scott King of the Pittsboro Police Department. The new HD surveillance system has helped the department save time and boosted investigation success.

All police officers and the chief of police manage the surveillance system from their desktops using VMS. The PPD installed a 180 degree HD panoramic dome in the town's main intersection to monitor vehicular and pedestrian traffic. They also deployed several analog video encoders to improve image quality and manageability of existing analog cameras to cover the parking lot, entrances, exits, and other high-traffic areas in Scamahorn Park. An Avigilon NVR stores 30 days of continuous video. PPD officers also use mobile VMS to monitor the cameras remotely from their Android phones. Pittsboro plans to expand the HD surveillance system to other key areas across town in the future.

The PPD can investigate incidents much quicker than before, freeing up police officers to focus on other aspects of community safety. The PPD has achieved higher identification success and conviction rates because officers can identify suspects and incidents with greater accuracy and are more likely to recoup costs for the time and materials needed to clean up vandalism or repair damaged property.

“Dedicated to ensuring the safety of its residents, the PPD faces the same security challenges of any big city, including the growing threat of vandalism and criminal mischief,” said Bryan Schmode, Executive VP of Global Sales at Avigilon. “The Avigilon HD surveillance system enables the PPD to identify incidents with greater success, achieve higher conviction rates, and save costs to ultimately enhance community safety.”

Axis introduces high-density video encoder chassis

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 5/15/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Axis Communications announced the release of its Q7436 video encoder blade and Q7920 video encoder chassis, which is one of the industry's highest-density encoder chassis with support for up to 84 analog cameras. The new high-performance video encoder solution is ideal for demanding locations such as airports, railway stations and city surveillance–where high performance, flexibility and reliability are required.

“This new video encoder system is an ideal, future-proof video surveillance solution offering outstanding performance and great flexibility,” said Erik Frannlid, Director of Product Management at Axis. “It allows customers with large scale analog video surveillance installations to connect their cameras to an IP network, giving instant access to digital benefits, including intelligent video capabilities, remote access and scalability.”

The video encoder blade has support for 60/50 fps, providing smooth video even in high motion scenes. It delivers multiple, individually configurable video streams from each channel, at full frame rate in all resolutions. Furthermore, this six channel video encoder blade offers great image features such as reduced noise, enhanced sharpness and optimized contrast, allowing for even better image quality output.

For larger, centralized systems, high-density rack solutions with encoder blades offer the most flexible and reliable solutions. The Q7920 is a rack mount encoder chassis, providing an expandable solution for migrating large-scale analog installations to network video. It holds up to 14 hot-swappable video encoder blades supporting up to 84 analog cameras. Furthermore, with hot swapping there is no need to power down the entire system when installing or removing the video encoder blades.

The video encoder chassis is also highly reliable with its power and network redundancy. Featuring both RJ45 ports as well as SFP slots, this video encoder solution offers fully flexible and cost-effective long distance network connectivity.

Further features included in AXIS Q7436 Video Encoder Blade:

• Provides powerful event management capabilities with embedded intelligent video features such as tampering alarm and motion detection.
• Supports AXIS Camera Application Platform that enables development of third party applications that can be downloaded and installed on the encoder.
• Offers significant installation savings, by allowing PTZ control over the coaxial cable, in addition to the standard support for PTZ cameras using the serial ports. 
• The video encoder blade is supported by the industry's largest base of VMS through the Axis application development partner program and Axis VMS. Furthermore the video encoder includes support Hosted Video and ONVIF for easy camera system integration.

The video encoder blade and video encoder chassis is planned to be available for order in third quarter of 2013 through Axis distribution channels.

Do more with less

Editor / Provider: By Tevin Wang, a&s International | Updated: 5/14/2013 | Article type: Tech Corner

Fisheye cameras have been around for years, but real-life adoption seems to be limited, due to a limited number of offerings and VMS integrations. Things are changing for the better, as more camera manufacturers and management software providers pay more attention to the optics and user benefits. a&s looks into the latest developments.

Panoramic and hemispheric lenses have been used by photographers for decades. Nowadays, one can literally shoot images with panoramic or fisheye effects with smartphones. Still, what is common in the consumer electronics industry may be exotic in security.

The panoramic camera offers both the 180-degree and 360-degree panoramic view using a single fisheye lens or several normal lenses. “For a panoramic camera using several lenses, the panoramic image is produced by stitching the images shot by each of the lenses,” said Osborne Fang, Marketing Manager at Brickcom. “On the other hand, the fisheye camera provides the panoramic image with a single lens. Due to the extremely wide viewing angle of the fisheye lens, the image is distorted and dewarping technology is needed to turn the image into a normal one, readable to the human eye. Hence, dewarping is one of the keys to the final image quality of the fisheye camera.”

Petra Bennermark, Product Manager at Axis Communications, added, “A panoramic camera refers to either a camera that is mounted on a wall and gives a 180-degree view from the wall or a ceiling-mounted camera that gives a 360-degree view of the area below the ceiling. A camera with a 180-degree fisheye lens constitutes one technical solution to such a camera. So I would say that a fisheye camera is a subset of panoramic cameras.”

One way to envision a 180-degree view is to imagine standing in the center of an alley with your back against a wall. “Cameras mounted where your head is would be able to see the whole alley including both ends and the wall that your head is against,” said Ellen Cargill, Director of Product Development for Scallop Imaging (a division of Tenebraex).

Pluses & Trade-Offs
It is important that user s understand what they get and what they do not get from fisheye cameras. Fixed cameras, however mounted, cover narrow fields of view and multiple cameras are required to give adequate coverage of wide areas. PTZ cameras, on the other hand, require manual control and are therefore most often pointing to the wrong place at the wrong time. “A fisheye camera mounted on a wall or on the ceiling in the center of a room or area can cover a vast area with no blind spots, no moving parts, and no manual control required,” said David Myers, CTO at AMG Systems. “While not totally replacing fixed and PTZ cameras, fisheye cameras provide total coverage and reduce both the number of cameras required and the infrastructure required. The ability to follow a subject on a single camera is also of great benefit in forensic analysis”

Some trade-offs still exist for fisheye cameras. As a fisheye camera uses a specialized lens that distorts the image of a scene to fit it into a single view, circular fisheye images do not use all the pixels on an image sensor. Also, image magnification diminishes as the subject moves toward the edges of the scene despite that megapixel image sensors and digital image processing have improved fisheye performance on the edges of the field of view.

Distortion & Pixel Check
Fisheye lenses project a circular footprint and have constant or linear distortion from the center to the edge. Objects closer to the camera appear bigger, while they reduce rapidly in size as the distance from the camera increases. In other words, users could have an unavoidable drop-off in image quality at the edges. These issues might be “magnified” after dewarping. It is similar to the difference between a globe and a map of the world when attempting to provide a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional world. Both poles are squished, like oversized representations of Antarctica and Greenland on some maps. The same goes for a fisheye lens: the farther an object is from the center of an image, the more distorted it becomes.

Image distortions and pixel drops of fisheye cameras are hard to read from technical specs. The best way is to actually test the cameras and check the details. “When comparing, make sure that you compare ‘apples to apples' — that is, the same part of the scene, the same field of view, same distance and direction angle from the camera,” Bennermark said.

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to representing the true resolution of fisheye cameras as they, compared to fixed cameras, have a smaller optical image sensor. Greg Alcorn, Director of Global Sales at Oncam Grandeye shared some simple mathematics that can help end users and integrators check exactly what resolution they are getting. “Most manufactures use a 5-megapixel sensor, or 2592 by 1944 pixels, and the image is then cropped to the size of the lens, or a circle within a rectangle. The circle, therefore, has a diameter of 1944 pixels and the following equation is used to calculate the true resolution. The actual resolution equals the area of the circle. [In this case, the actual resolution is 972x972, which is 2.9 megapixels.]"

Dewarping
Human eyes are not used to optical distortion and dewarping is created for this purpose. Dewarping can be done on fisheye cameras or on the client application. “The achievable optical resolution of the lens and the achievable resolution of the image sensor play an important role on the image quality of the dewarped image,” Fang said. “For example, a high-optical resolution fisheye lens with the 5-megapixel image sensor can provide more detail than the same lens with the 1-megapixel image sensor. Meanwhile, the computation power of the processor determines the time it takes for the dewarping function to process the raw optical image.”

In-camera dewarping offers direct dewarped views based on user's need. User can choose the number of dewarped views of the scene and the camera will do the rest. “Dewarping on the camera lets the customer create virtual views or narrow-field windows that create blind spots similar to conventional cameras. The windows may be moved using PTZ commands over the network, and will then have latency similar to what is currently associated with mechanical PTZ cameras,” Alcorn said. “[However], dewarping on the camera does not allow the ability to retrospectively view the 360 image, which is one of the biggest advantages of using 360-degree cameras.”

Dewarping on the client side, on the other hand, allows for retrospective viewing, which enables the user to go back in time to view the total scene in its original form and then pan, tilt, and/or zoom within the 360-degree image as desired. “An additional advantage to dewarp on the client side is the ability for multiple clients to view the same image with different perspectives concurrently. There is no time slicing required as with traditional PTZ cameras or 360 cameras with dewarping onboard the camera,” Alcorn added.

However, Alf Chang, Senior Consultant at a&s held a different opinion. ”In-camera dewarping may also allow multiple clients to view the same image with different perspectives. This relates more to NVRs than where the dewarping occurs. Indeed, the mode or numbers of dewarped views can only be set by one user at the front end. These dewarped views and footage are stored at the NVR. Via NVR, it is still feasible for multiple clients to view the same image with different perspectives. ”

Dewarping in the camera or on the client side have their pros and cons. When cameras are capable of dewarping themselves, installers or integrators have fewer concerns regarding the loading on the client side because the camera is doing the processing. Dewarping on the client side, on the other hand, offers comparatively more flexible and retrospective viewing. There are many dewarping methods. “Some well-known dewarping methods include stereographic projection, equidistant projection, and cylindrical projection. Each method has its own advantages, and the implementation details of the dewarping methods have to adapt to the optical characteristics of the fisheye lens used,” Fang said. “The key is the popularity and compatibility with the VMS.”

VMS Interoperability
Most fisheye manufacturers require a separate SDK for dewarping and e-PTZ controls. This makes integration to V MS systems challenging. In order to enhance the algorithm to the fullest of fisheye cameras, a VMS with full support is crucial. Limited VMS integration will block immersive fisheye cameras from being used effectively. VMS which support multiple manufacturers or even an established standard are key for broader adoption of fisheye cameras.

Oncam Grandeye is optimistic about the potential of fisheye cameras and increased integration with VMS platforms. “Technology moves forward and image quality gets better. VMS, like everything else, is advancing. We have developed an SDK for multiple platforms that can be integrated into any clientside application. It comes with our patented dewarping technology using OpenGL and 3D modeling techniques to project a texture map of the image onto p-surface (a 3D object, generated by a computer graphic system). This takes advantage of current state-of-theart GPUs (graphic processor units), which reduces the load on the CPU. Performing dewarping on the CPU could use as much as 20 percent of the CPU's performance, based on the size of the image and frame rate,” Alcorn said.

Myers agreed. “We provide the software to our VMS partners which allows fast dewarping of the high resolution fisheye live and recorded through their viewing software.”

Brickcom is also eager to increase its technology partners. “Our fisheye camera is compatible now with more than 40 VMS solutions thanks to the open ImmerVision 360-degree viewing standard,” Fang added.

If cameras are capable of dewarping, VMS interoperability is not a concern. “As Axis does dewarping in the camera, VMS is subscribed to the already dewarped images. These dewarped images can be dynamically controlled to make it a digital PTZ camera. There is no need for VMS applications to deal with dewarping,” according to Bennermark.

Future Development
Some manufacturers are launching day-night fisheye cameras for 24-hour coverage. Also, they can be deployed outdoors. The goal is to allow fisheye cameras not to be limited to indoor installations but to wider outdoor areas.

For the past few years, the greatest advances in IP-based video surveillance have been in compression and megapixel technology. These technologies bring panoramic and hemispheric cameras up to a new level, and they can be used in more applications than before, said Steve Ma, Executive VP of VIVOTEK. “With today's sensor and lens technologies, manufacturers are able to provide high quality 360-degree cameras. We will bundle fisheye cameras and speed dome cameras as a solution for great perspectives and details, which allows users to simultaneously monitor both an overview and a detailed regional view of any given scene.”

Milestone Arcus has signed ISD as first edge-based solution partner

Editor / Provider: Milestone Systems | Updated: 5/14/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Milestone Systems has signed Innovative Security Designs (ISD) as the first camera partner who will offer the robust and streamlined Milestone Arcus VMS embedded in their edge devices.

With this collaboration, Milestone and ISD mark a new era of edge storage solutions. By redefining the role of a camera, Milestone Arcus VMS embedded on ISD cameras can be a hosted edge server solution model for all IP cameras supported by Milestone.

Innovation in the security industry and technology leveraged from the consumer electronic industry are fueling the adoption of edge storage – when recorded video data is stored in a de-centralized way at the edge (on devices such as cameras connected to a network). The ability to record and manage up to a month of 1080P video on a single ISD camera meets customer expectations and requirements for distributed video storage.

By migrating to edge storage, customers can realize the benefit of being able to save money and simplify installations by eliminating expensive servers. The combination of ISD and Milestone Arcus gives consumers even more choice by not requiring them to sacrifice legacy cameras that are not capable of edge storage. It is an open platform solution that supports multiple camera types and brands, all tied together and managed with the streamlined Milestone Arcus VMS.

According to its principal video surveillance analyst, Jon Cropley, “as this market grows and as network surveillance products penetrate smaller installations, there will be an increasing need to simplify the installation of video management software and to operate that software more easily. The combination of Milestone Arcus with ISD cameras seems to be an initiative designed to meet this need”.

Milestone Arcus VMS gives a simple to use, clean and efficient interface. The collaboration between ISD and Milestone makes configuring and recording camera output easy and user friendly. ISD's large onboard storage capacity as well as the ability to tie into other Milestone Arcus storage partners makes this a very powerful and elegant solution for redundant storage.

This partnership also means that existing Milestone XProtect customers can easily add an ISD/Milestone Arcus-enabled camera to their installations.

“It has been an absolute pleasure working together with the Incubation and Ventures team at Milestone,” says Ian Johnston, CEO of ISD. “We share a common vision of having an open and powerful solution that makes video at the edge simple and easy to deploy and operate. Our combined ability to extend the edge and be the host for other Milestone-supported camera vendors is groundbreaking.”

The collaboration and innovation extends beyond storage and video management. ISD's netSeries product line uses the same processor engines used in modern smartphones. The road map for the ISD-Milestone Arcus offerings will also include advanced third-party analytics in the cameras. Edge-based analytics solve the problem of scalability for analytic partners: adding more cameras automatically adds computing power without adding more complexity.

Like storage and video management, everything is tied together using the Milestone Arcus streamlined user interface. Other vendors who wish to partner with Milestone Arcus can tie into this ecosystem, again bringing simplicity, ease of use, and the ability for customers to choose the solutions that make sense for them.

NATO Defense College in Italy enlists IP sentries

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 5/10/2013 | Article type: Education

The NATO Defense College (NDC), a NATO military academy headquartered in Rome, decided to install a modern, high-quality video surveillance system consisting of 20 network cameras, NVR, and VMS for perimeter security of its facility. The system was installed and designed by Augen Telematica & Automazione.

Officially established in Paris in 1951, the NDC was moved to the Italian capital in 1966, becoming one of the most important sites in Europe for training military and diplomatic staff within and outside the NATO region. It has been housed in its current facility since 1999, with a vast floor space that has necessitated increased security equipment.

The selection of the Axis Communications camera models employed was dictated by the need to monitor the NDC grounds 24 hours, in particular at the new Defense College site. The specific network cameras installed are 19 fixed PTZ network cameras that offer HD video and 18x zoom, adapted for surveillance of large areas, providing considerable image detail when enlarged.

The video surveillance system installed by Augen has a three-tier design, consisting specifically of two workstations that video record with back-up, and a NVR to carry out recording, providing simultaneous rendering for the  network cameras on the perimeter, and able to ensure complete, precise coverage of the Defense College grounds; its strong points include device redundancy, network camera independence and ease of use. VMS and NVR synchronization is achieved using REDIS (advanced key-value store), a system that ensures system functionality and video recording capability even in the event of disasters that might damage one of the two workstations or render them inaccessible. The Ubuntu Linux-based VMS is developed and manufactured by Augen.

The solution adopted has made it possible to achieve video surveillance that is extremely reliable due to physical redundancy of the simultaneously active, independently operating workstations, and which is excellent from a qualitative perspective due to the exceptional image rendering and streaming obtained with the Axis network cameras even at night. The reliability and quality of the Axis network cameras is combined with an HP server that incorporates the Intel processor and the Ubuntu Linux operating system ensuring high performance, and at the same time guaranteeing immunity to hacker attacks and viruses.

Attack high and low

Editor / Provider: Hayden Hsu, asmag.com | Updated: 5/10/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Established in 1998, Milestone Systems has come a very long way in assisting the security world's transition to IP-based surveillance architecture. “The more (channels), the merrier” has been the growth ingredient for most open-platform VMS solution providers, but things are changing as global economy enters into a plateau. Sunny Kong, the newly appointed Sales Director for Asia, shares with asmag how he will lead the team to bring the VMS market leader into new markets in the region.

Currently, top markets for Milestone are Korea, Thailand and Singapore, as the company focuses on growth verticals like city surveillance, transportation, retail and finance. Vertical managers and specialist partners are empowered through professional training and certification, guaranteeing that only the most apt solutions are brought to end users.

**Don't forget to check out video interviews!**

Multilayered
The Danish headquarters has high hopes for emerging economies, and Asia is certainly one of them. As growth targets are set between 30 to 40 percent, Kong plans to enter into relatively new markets, such as China where traditional CMS/analog systems rein, with Milestone's comprehensive portfolio (Professional, Corporate and Interconnect) and recharged training and partnership programs, to address various solution requirements from a multitude of site scenarios.