IndigoVision unveils Ultra 5K 12MP Fixed camera

Editor / Provider: IndigoVision | Updated: 12/12/2013 | Article type: Security 50

IndigoVision announed IndigoVision Ultra 5K Fixed Camera - the first ultra-high resolution security camera to deliver outstanding image detail and video performance in ALL lighting conditions.

"Having ultra-high resolution means a single camera can give greater overall situation awareness, while providing better digital zoom. Ultra-high resolution means less cameras are required." stated Alex Swanson, IndigoVision's Head of Engineering.

The IndigoVision Ultra 5K has an ultra-high resolution of five thousand horizontal pixels, delivering incredible image detail and wider scene coverage from a single camera. Operators can get an extreme close up through the Ultra 5K's powerful digital zoom, safe in the knowledge that every detail in the scene is continuously captured and recorded.

The challenge with ultra-high resolution is delivering video quality that the security industry expects in all lighting conditions. Ultra-high resolution cameras have failed by using technology designed for industries such as medical imaging.

The IndigoVision Ultra 5K has a cutting edge CMOS sensor with Global Shutter and Wide Dynamic Range. Outstanding image processing performance of 120 Megapixels per second gives 6 frames per second video.

“In both real-life and laboratory tests, the IndigoVision Ultra 5K delivers ten times better low lux performance and double the frames per second than other ultra-high resolution cameras." concluded Alex.

Fully ONVIF compliant, the Ultra 5K is optimized to work with IndigoVision's Control Center video management software and Networked Video Recorders. Intuitive configuration and installation means the IndigoVision Ultra 5K camera is up and running fast.

Available in internal and external IP 67 rated options, the IndigoVision Ultra 5K camera is ideal for installations where image detail with wide area coverage is paramount, such as Airports, Cities, Stadiums and Major Events.

IndigoVision's complete IP video security solutions have been used worldwide in over 70 airports, 350 cities and have been selected for the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup in Brazil.

Milestone VMS deployed at Bam Nuttall Highway Services

Editor / Provider: Milestone | Updated: 12/11/2013 | Article type: Infrastructure

Milestone XProtect open platform IP video management software (VMS) has been deployed to protect Bam Nuttall's Highway Services Unit in Winsford, Cheshire, in the UK. Milestone Certified Partner NW Systems Group was hired to install a comprehensive, cost effective video monitoring system based on Milestone XProtect Express VMS.

NW Systems used high quality network cameras from three different manufacturers to provide surveillance of the external areas. Coverage focused on the large rear yard which provides storage for high value road signs, street lighting poles and motorway crash barriers. They also installed multi-megapixel wide angle cameras internally to cover a large factory making signs for Bam Nuttall's road maintenance teams, for health and safety monitoring.

Milestone XProtect Express video management software provides centralized management of images from all the network cameras. XProtect was integrated with Paxton Net2 access control to ensure security of office space through the night at this 24-hour site. The Milestone XProtect Smart Client interface gives front-end views on the laptops of authorized managers, and the Milestone Mobile client enables distribution of live and recorded video to their smartphones and tablets for remote monitoring around the clock.

Bam Nuttall Highway Services uses mobile cameras on its road sign trailers to monitor the activity of teams putting out and collecting road signs in areas where road works are ongoing.

Frank Crouwel, Managing Director at NW Systems, added: “We've designed and developed a fully integrated and mobile video and access control security system for Bam Nuttall Highway Services so managers can view images from across the site and link door entry events with video to provide comprehensive 24-hour security of the offices. The video enables managers to keep an eye on road sign manufacturing operations to ensure Health & Safety procedures are being followed. It also enables security operatives to gain visibility of the internal areas from any mobile device – something that is very useful if intrusion detectors trigger alarms in the middle of the night.”

Tyco Security Products team-up with Alarm.com for interactive offering

Editor / Provider: Tyco Security Products | Updated: 12/5/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Tyco Security Products, a pure-play fire protection and security company, announced a new global partnership with Alarm.com.

Alarm.com is a technology provider for connected home services powering over 1 million households. With customized services that include interactive security, video monitoring, energy management and home automation, Alarm.com's technology complements Tyco Security Products' expertise in Interactive hardware solutions.

The partnership includes a close engineering collaboration to ensure the full range of current and future Alarm.com services are supported providing a leading, future-proof platform to dealers globally.

Aligned with Tyco Security Products' multiple-partner strategy for Interactive solutions, the partnership with Alarm.com is a testament to Tyco Security Products' commitment as a player in the global interactive space. Tyco Security Products' role in the development of security solutions, paired with the strengths of interactive security services offered by high-caliber partner brands such as Alarm.com, enhance Tyco Security Products' footprint in the interactive security and connected home space, ensuring customers with additional revenue opportunities and enhanced service standards.

As a whole, customers will continue to benefit from this new, multiple-partner strategy, as Tyco Security Products continues to identify, build on and leverage synergies between global partner businesses.

Axis IP cameras provide video monitoring at Matterhorn Gotthard railway

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 12/2/2013 | Article type: Infrastructure

Mission
The Matterhorn Gotthard Railway network (MGBahn) is one of the most scenic lines in Europe: over 144 kilometers long, the narrow-gauge track runs in narrow serpentine loops, passes through 33 tunnels and galleries, and over 126 bridges. The majority of passengers are tourists who come to the Valais canton of Switzerland to hike in summer and to ski in winter.

To make the journey more comfortable, in 2011 MGBahn requested a proposal for a stationary customer information system. Together with two partners, in 2012 general contractor Ruf Multimedia AG began implementing the project, which extended from the control system in the company's control room via voice and information panels, and display screens at the stations, to video surveillance. An important function was video surveillance using Axis network cameras.

Solution
Ruf Multimedia has collaborated with Axis Communications for many years. The company has installed its powerful network cameras on trains and stations throughout Europe and the world, therefore Axis was the logical choice as a reliable project partner.

In the 2012 pilot phase, Ruf installed video surveillance cameras at the first eight stations between Eyholz, Brig and Fiesch.

Result
Axis network cameras form part of the passenger guidance system that Ruf Multimedia AG will be installing at all MGBahn stations by the end of 2014. For the manufacturer, Axis promises high image quality and night vision functions, as well as cameras are extremely robust and require little maintenance. In the first year, they have already proved ideal and survived the Swiss winter.

Groups of hikers crowd the platform at Fiesch in daylight. The station is one of a total of 44 on the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway, passing through the Swiss Alps and climbs to an altitude of over 3300 meters.

Fiesch was one of the first eight stations to be equipped with video surveillance in 2012: Two Axis network cameras monitor events and transmit to the control center, which responds immediately with an announcement about crowding, and schedules a special train.

Monitoring events at the stations, MGBahn ordered the new stationary passenger information system from Ruf Multimedia AG, who offers high performance technology and years of experience in the field of stationary and mobile passenger information systems.

Through an interface to the control system, the control center knows the location of the cars, and from this can calculate accurate departure times and delays. In this way, the trains can be scheduled as required and the vacationers in the mountains are kept informed in good time via monitors and loudspeaker announcements.

Immediately ready for use: Axis cameras on the pilot line
Video monitoring on the pilot line was first performed using AXIS P1344-E Network Cameras mounted on the catenary supports and signal masts. At some covered sites, Ruf also installed AXIS P3344-E Dome Network Cameras. The PoE function (Power over Ethernet) allows the cameras to automatically be powered via data cables so that the railway operator doesn't have the complexity and cost of network cables.

The cameras are perfect for outdoor use: temperature- regulated heating allows tolerate fluctuations between minus 40 and plus 70 degrees. In addition, they have special protection from dust, rain and snow.

Superior image quality both day and night
Another criterion in the decision was the high image quality of the Axis cameras and the possibility of switching between different resolutions. The cameras record locally at one megapixel in HDTV quality, but then transmit the live image to the control center in VGA resolution, which significantly reduces the data volume. Both AXIS P1344-E and AXIS P3344-E have a wide dynamic range (WDR) and offer day/night functionality. As a result, they deliver clear images around the clock, even under poor visibility conditions such as falling snow. The cameras are also ideal for dark areas of the station.

Elegant solution – and the next step with new Axis cameras
By 2014, Ruf will have equipped the remaining railway sections to Zermatt and Disentis with customer information systems. “To simplify the overview in the control center further, the new network cameras should all point in one direction”, says Schraven, explaining the concept. MGBahn will be relying on Axis P13 Series Cameras with up to 5 megapixel resolution, which covers very large areas of the station. Since these network cameras have multiview streaming, several detail areas of an image can be defined and zoomed. Video monitoring is also planned for the new MGBahn cars.

Exacq and IQinVision protect Indianapolis-based Community Health Network

Editor / Provider: IQinVision | Updated: 10/30/2013 | Article type: Commercial Markets

IQinVision announced that Indianapolis-based Community Health Network has installed an exacqVision-IQinVision combined solution to meet their video surveillance needs. Koorsen Security Technology provided complete design and installation services for the project.

Established in 1956, Community Health Network is a leading not-for-profit health system offering convenient access to expert physicians, advanced treatments and leading-edge technology, all focused on getting patients well and back to their lives. With caring and compassion, Community's five hospitals comprised of more than 90 buildings continually strive to improve the health and well-being of all of their patients.

exacqVision Hybrid Servers and IQinVision HD megapixel cameras were installed to enable the Community Health Network Information Technologies department to monitor their Data Center to ensure continuous operations of their IT infrastructure. exacqVision VMS software was installed on two exacqVision Hybrid servers to manage a mix of IQinVision megapixel cameras located throughout the Data Center and connected office building, as well as existing analog cameras. The exacqVision client software is installed on a video wall in the Network Operations Center and in several other locations located through the facility. Video is continually monitored and if an incident is reported the staff will search for the video recorded on the server to investigate and support their findings.

“We selected exacqVision Hybrid Servers and Video Management Software because we needed a trustworthy video surveillance system to monitor our Data Center facility 24x7x365 and provide clear real-time video as well as easy to access recorded events,” said Chris Stewart, Manager, Data Centers and Server Technologies. “The exacqVision Hybrid Servers also needed to operate seamlessly with existing analog cameras and integrate with the new IQinVision IP megapixel cameras. A major benefit was the flexibility of the client workstations to be easily integrated into our Network Operations Center for continuous video monitoring. exacqVision met our requirements and provides excellent performance.”

To date, Community Health has installed a mix of 42 IQeye Alliance dome and Sentinel cameras, ranging from 1 to 5MP in resolution. Going forward, Stewart plans to replace his analog cameras with the newer, IQeye megapixel cameras as the analog cameras fail. “We're happy with the IQeye cameras, if we had the budget we'd replace all the analog cameras now. The clarity of the megapixel cameras is so much better, it really is night and day.” Stewart has the high-performing IQeye cameras providing surveillance video for all his important, high value assets and locations. “The IQeyes, they do the job well,” he concluded.

Genetec cloud-based surveillance technology to safeguard restaurants in Canada

Editor / Provider: Genetec | Updated: 10/22/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Genetec announced that its new cloud-based video monitoring service, Stratocast, is offering restaurants throughout North America an affordable way to help them safeguard their patrons and inventory.

One early Canadian-based adopter is the China Rose restaurant, an award winning Asian cuisine establishment located in Calgary, Alberta. According to China Rose Owner and General Manager, Ken Wong, having a video surveillance system has always been a key operations requirement to help keep an eye on who is coming and going from the restaurant, to ensure the well-being of guests and staff, and maintain video records for incidents involving liability claims and inventory theft.

Having previously installed an analog-based digital video recorder (DVR) in the restaurant, Wong encountered numerous limitations, including poor picture quality and difficult-to-access video footage. So when he heard about Stratocast, a new cloud-based video surveillance system specifically designed for small to mid size businesses, Wong decided to try it out.

A few weeks into the installation, China Rose is already seeing huge advantages to its cloud based surveillance system compared to the older analog-based DVR system: “I was very impressed with Stratocast because it is all web-based and was so simple to learn. I can be at home, in the office, or elsewhere and tap into the Stratocast viewing app from my smartphone to see what's happening at the front desk or around the restaurant. With my old DVR, I could only review video while at the restaurant, and the system made it difficult to find what I was looking for without having to sift through hours of recorded footage. When we moved to Stratocast, it was also surprising to see the drastic improvement in the level of detail in the video. It has been really amazing to have such clear images at my disposal,” added Wong. Since switching to a cloud-based solution, Wong has also been able to retain video recordings for longer periods. While his DVR would only allow him to keep about one week of recordings, Stratocast now enables him to retain and quickly access up to four weeks of footage.

Genetec secures City of Toronto's New Forensic Services and Coroner's Complex

Editor / Provider: Genetec | Updated: 10/18/2013 | Article type: Government & Public Services

Genetec announced that Security Center—its unified IP security platform —was recently deployed as part of a highly sophisticated security implementation for the brand new City of Toronto Forensic Services and Coroner's Complex (FSCC).

Genetec, a global provider in unified IP security solutions and in video management software (VMS), announced that Security Center—its unified IP security platform —was recently deployed as part of a highly sophisticated security implementation for the brand new City of Toronto Forensic Services and Coroner's Complex (FSCC). The new 49,000 square meter state-of-the-art facility built by Carillion Canada is set to revolutionize forensics in Canada, and enable them to support increasingly complicated investigations.

Tasked to design, install and commission the highly sophisticated security objectives of the new FSCC facility, Marcomm Systems Group (MSGI) chose Genetec Security Center for the fully integrated IP security management grid. Omnicast, the VMS system in Genetec Security Center, manages the crucial video surveillance requirements for the facility's perimeter. Several customized sub-systems were added, including biometric access control, alarm monitoring for critical areas, roof line detection and other locations of concern, and completed with a facility-wide duress panic alarm system with a Voice over IP (VoIP) recoding box to record all distress signals for evidence and review.

"As veteran systems integrators, it is important that we work with a unified platform that is open-architecture, flexible, functional and user friendly," said David Trudel, President of Marcomm Systems Group. "We have deployed Genetec on so many sophisticated projects over the years that we have become intimately familiar with its functionality. When we began planning the integration for The City of Toronto Forensic Services and Coroner's complex, we would not have considered anything other than Genetec to sit at the center of the many cameras, access control protocols, and customized sub-systems for this unique project," added Trudel.

The Genetec Security Center user interface consolidates and standardizes the common aspects of security operations, such as real-time event and video monitoring, advanced reporting, alarm management and configuration, and makes all tasks easily accessible via an intuitive client application. Security Center also offers a web client that allows users to perform management, reporting and configuration duties through any web browser, or smart-phone app for mobile access with the latest Apple, Android, or Blackberry devices.

The unified security platform in Security Center is network-based, and engineered with an open and highly-scalable architecture, offering cost-cutting advantages to choose preferred hardware, preserve existing investments, expand a system gradually or develop custom applications and third-party integrations via one of the industry's most robust software developer kits (SDK).

Geutebruck video surveillance safeguards city council in Prague

Editor / Provider: Geutebruck | Updated: 9/4/2013 | Article type: Security 50

In the Czech capital of Prague the city council uses Geutebruck video technology to make the city safer and to protect its world famous architectural and cultural heritage. The images from the 2,500-plus cameras which monitor many of Prague's streets, schools, underground and surface rail lines as well as historic buildings and monuments are all recorded and managed using Geutebruck equipment. The extensive use of video analytics with lots of different automatic alarm scenarios enables system operators to provide human attention or intervention efficiently whenever and wherever it is required.

One neat example of this is the world-famous Charles Bridge. This iconic Prague tourist attraction spanning the Vltava River is a magnet for visitors but its popularity has given rise to concerns relating to both safety and conservation. A significant number of tourists were ignoring the signs and mounting its statue-punctuated balustrades to be photographed with King Wenceslas or one of the other stone saints. This behaviour, which could be risky for the participants and potentially damaging for the stonework, is now immediately detected by the video analysis running on the video streams from the bridge cameras. The automatically generated alarm alerts city police at a nearby police station for them to deal promptly with the incident, and the system's video recordings are available for evidential purposes should legal proceedings subsequently ensue.

Here Geutebruck's outdoor video analytics VMD demonstrates its ability to differentiate between clambering humans and the birds which often alight on the statues. It provides effective service because it operates reliably in all weathers without generating weather-related alarms.

The city council has been investing in Geutebruck video technology since 2006 and has an on-going programme of upgrading and expansion. In this context, the expansion-friendly, modular structure of Geutebruck systems is a key, as is the backwards compatibility guarantee which provides reassurance that existing equipment will always remain usable, even in systems which grow indefinitely. Other valued system features include high reliability, as well as support for many different failover scenarios which are available to ensure that system availability is as high as the particular situation warrants.

The most recent significant expansion to the city's video monitoring operation has been the provision of surveillance in the new Blanka tunnel. This 6 kilometre-long extension to the City Circle road tunnel is currently being constructed to the north west of the city centre. Due for completion in May 2014, it is hoped that this tunnel network will alleviate traffic congestion in the centre of Prague and restore calm to this World Heritage site.

Axis secures Brazilian Bemol retail facilities with IP video solution

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 8/19/2013 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Mission
Bemol is one of the largest retail chains operating in Brazil's North Region. With 19 stores, 3 distribution centers, and a headquarters office from which its successful e-business operations are coordinated, the company has more than 2,200 employees in the three Brazilian states where it does business. Since Bemol is currently considered the top-of-mind brand by almost all residents of Manous, Amazonas, in-store traffic is increasing exponentially. In order to monitor this flow, a project offering high-quality video monitoring was needed. The analog cameras installed in Bemol's stores no longer met its needs.

Solution
The system integrator, RV Installations, designed a comprehensive project proposal for installation of an IP video monitoring solution at Bemol. Altogether, 430 cameras were utilized: 405 AXIS HDTV cameras, 16 AXIS PoE cameras with CS-mount, and 8 AXIS Day/Night PTZ Network Cameras. All cameras are managed using Digifort Professional software provided by Digifort, an Axis partner.

Result
RV installations' video monitoring proposal has far exceeded Bemol's expectations. During the first few months of its operation, the system has facilitated the identification of a much larger number of events than recorded by the analog system it replaced. Furthermore, the images captured also help optimize operations: for example, it is now possible to identify those areas that attract the most customers, check for shelves needing to be restocked, and detect in real time which sections require more sales personnel.

Pilot project
Because this was RV Installations' first project to include IP cameras, once RV Installations understood Bemol's needs it conducted market research and before submitting a project proposal to the customer, decided to partner with Axis. RV Installations then took advantage of training offered by Axis and Digifort and, only afterward, submitted a proposal to Bemol for modernization of its video monitoring system.

The first step was to adopt Axis cameras at a single store, the Bemol Barroso store in Manaus, to evaluate the solution's potential. Sixteen AXIS HDTV Network Cameras were installed inside the store.

Soon afterward, Bemol confirmed the network's monitoring efficiency and requested RV Installations to implement the solution throughout the entire chain. Concurrently, it adopted eight more cameras at the Barroso store to provide monitoring not just inside the store but also in the parking lot.

Remote monitoring
Currently, all 19 Bemol stores, including a recently opened unit at the Ponta Negra Shopping Center in Manaus, have Axis cameras, as do the company's three distribution centers and central office mentioned at the beginning of this case study. All 23 locations are monitored from a central control center set up at the company headquarters in Manaus. All images captured are analyzed in real time 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by remote operators stationed there.

The Monitoring Room is equipped with seven servers and twenty-four 32-inch LED TVs used for local monitoring. The camera system runs on PoE, and the cameras installed offer intelligent proximity detection, which means they save storage space by monitoring environments continuously but only storing images whenever local movement is detected. Each unit has a dedicated 1-MB link that facilitates the transmission of images it captures to the central control center.

The project has been so successful that, for the future Bemol has begun to experiment with automated nighttime monitoring: cameras would automatically detect movement in stores during hours when the store is closed, activating appropriate alarms and systems to warn the police, fire department or private security agency, as appropriate.

Japanese Police Station enhances staff security with Qnap Security surveillance solution

Editor / Provider: Sponsored by Qnap Security | Updated: 8/5/2013 | Article type: Government & Public Services

Background
Japanese police station plays an important role in maintaining the security of the responsible districts. The core duty of the police officers is to regularly patrol around the beat to prevent crime and misdemeanor and so to safeguard people. Other duties include first aid service, emergency response, traffic directing, etc.

Challenges
While the police officers protect people, the police officers themselves, likewise, need protection too. When they are on duty, countless people come and go around the buildings. Besides, important documents that are stored inside the police stations need to be kept safe. Most important of all, for the police officers who take the night shifts, they need proper measures to protect their safety when not many colleagues stay in the station to take care of one another. To enhance the total security of the police station, the need of a well-rounded surveillance measure raised.

Solution
After a thorough comparison among numerous surveillance system brands, the Japanese police station chose QNAP Security as an ideal surveillance solution. A total of 200 units QNAP VioStor NVR VS-2004 Pro were deployed at 200 police stations around Tokyo and Osaka. Each police station installed one VS-2004 Pro and up to four AXIS P5514 IP cameras to monitor inside and outside surroundings.

The VS-2004 Pro delivers high quality performances that well support demands of the police stations. Powered by dual-core Intel Atom processor, the VS-2004 Pro offers the ability to record megapixel images from multiple IP cameras or video servers. The user-friendly administration interface eases the operations of the surveillance system and improves efficiency on system management. The USB one-touch-copy function is especially useful as the backup tasks can be done without computers required. Staff could just plug in an external USB drive to the front-panel USB port and tap on the "Copy" button to instantly back up data from the VS-2004 Pro. The backup master of the police station could easily and conveniently finish backup task when necessary. Last but not least, QNAP VioStor NVR supports video recording from numerous well-known IP camera brands that offers great flexibility in the IP camera selection.

"As Japan is a country where cost of workforce is relatively high, the efficiency of a surveillance system counts for an important value," said Peter Ho, the country sales manager of QNAP Security. "For the Japanese police station which requires surveillance deployment at multiple branches, QNAP VioStor NVR features reliable stability and ease of management that effectively help save remarkable cost of time and human resource."

Result
The unique features of QNAP VioStor NVR have brought out positive outcomes to the security of the Japanese police stations. The VS-2004 Pro provides video monitoring and recording to satisfy the needs of enhanced security measures. The police officers recognize the enhanced security and are relieved under the protection of QNAP VioStor NVR. Take the deployment of 200 units VS-2004 Pro as a whole, the easiness of system setup and routine management has carried out impressive value and cost-efficiency.

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