Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software (VMS) is being used by Aalborg municipality in Denmark to optimize the security levels for property protection.
Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software (VMS) is being used by Aalborg municipality in Denmark to optimize the security levels for property protection.
Solution
The municipality has installed Milestone XProtect Corporate video software with one management server and seven recording servers to handle approximately 300 surveillance cameras. The plan is to double the number of cameras within a year.
The open platform technology enabled them to pick and choose from a wide range of cameras and select the optimal camera for a given task. It also made it easier for the local IT department to integrate the VMS systems into the total IT infrastructure.
Aalborg Municipality also uses the Milestone Mobile Client that allows access to the central video system via smartphones and tablets. A number of local libraries are unstaffed, so the video system is used to ensure security. It is used to enable nearby staff to be first responders and resolve smaller incidents.
For instance, if a visitor to the library inadvertently stayed after closing hours, this will trigger the alarm system. The local staff can then use mobile application to see the camera views from that location, determine the cause of the alarm, and deal with it appropriately. This would save the central guard service for more serious incidents.
Results
The security system together with a proactive approach to the use of surveillance video has reduced the damages to property in Aalborg significantly. In the case of a local citizen center, the losses from damage to property have diminished to zero from previously being more than US$113,000 a year. In addition, it also saved the municipality more than a million dollars in insurance costs.
The average response time for the city's guard service is now down to 10 minutes even though the municipality covers 1,138 square kilometers. The effectiveness of the response has also improved with the central command center able to use the video feed from the cameras as visual verification to guide first-level responders in security incidents: the operators can determine the severity of the alarm and optimize the response.
Product Adopted:Software