Milestone is all ears for audio from video cameras in new Device Pack

Milestone Systems, the number one open platform company in networked VMS has released Device Pack 9.3 for partners and customers using Milestone XProtect video solutions.

These updates are always a priority at Milestone: supporting the widest possible range of devices is a crucial part of the company’s open platform promise to the Milestone Community.

The bi-monthly device packs contain software updates for XProtect video management to support new hardware. This year, Milestone reached an industry-first 6,000 supported devices, with new ones constantly being added to each device pack that comes out.

Extended Support for Audio as Safety Tool

In preparation for the soon-to-come XProtect 2017 R3 version, audio support has been enhanced for selected Axis, Hanwha and Sony cameras, in addition to support for AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) in cameras. This audio compression format delivers superior quality compared to the formats traditionally used in VMS.

Using audio as an integrated part of a video surveillance system can be a valuable addition to a system’s ability to deliver operational awareness. Audio can also be used in analytics applications to alert and direct attention to incidents not covered by the system’s cameras.

Other Highlights of the Device Pack

Firmware has been updated for more than 230 Axis cameras in addition to adding 16 new models. Twelve models from the new Mx6 line from Mobotix are also included in this device pack. There are updates to support for Hikvision, Hanwha and Panasonic cameras, as well. Support for the intelligent video compression technology called SNAPStream has been added for selected Arecont Vision cameras.

Certification of Araani SmokeCatcher

SmokeCatcher is an early warning system for smoke detection in critical environments which offers superfast smoke detection in places where traditional smoke detection systems fail due to slow response or poor accuracy. SmokeCatcher has been certified to be used with XProtect; documentation of the testing, results and guidance can be found in the Milestone Solution Finder.