With its mixture of stores and offices, the Hayuelos Shopping and Business Center has become one of the main shopping and business hubs in the Colombian capital.
Mission
With its mixture of stores and offices, the Hayuelos Shopping and Business Center has become one of the main shopping and business hubs in the Colombian capital. Its concept also integrates public spaces and four conference and event halls. It has a movie theater, a supermarket, go-kart track, and almost 2,000 parking spaces. However, the analog video surveillance system installed at its opening was not capable of responding to its growing needs, nor did it meet the security and control challenges that arise each day at this establishment, which receives more than 1 million visitors on average per month.
Solution
G4S, an
Axis partner, was the integrator selected to design and implement the project. After the demo stage, with support from different brands, it was decided to implement a complete solution consisting of 166 Axis cameras, representing 15 different models. The variety of models reflects the specific needs of each space within the 120,000 square meter shopping center. The most vulnerable areas in this mixed space were prioritized: for example, access doors (
AXIS P1428-E Network Cameras, bullet models with 4K resolution offering a high level of image detail of people entering the mall) and parking areas (equipped with AXIS P1425-LE, with integrated infrared). The cameras are connected to the Milestone XProtect® VMS software for image viewing and recording.
Result
Many aspects of this project translate into savings. Each of the panoramic cameras installed in the parking lot, for example, replaced four conventional cameras (and thus four times less wiring, installation costs, and even software licenses). Additionally, the implementation did not create a major impact in terms of construction work: all camera models are PoE, which was facilitated by using the existing wiring. This IP feature resulted in cost savings and a minimal impact on the facilities.
Demos for the selection of models
With its 292 stores and 101 offices, ever since Hayuelos opened its doors it has been considered one of the busiest shopping centers in the entire country. However, over the years its analog video surveillance system had become obsolete. Its equipment was no longer under warranty, and its monitoring system did not allow images to be viewed in detail.
G4S Colombia was selected as the integrator, a company with 14 main offices and 25 branch offices in Colombia and a noteworthy history in the security industry. This company has also been a strategic ally in electronic security for the shopping center since its opening.
“Our customer was very clear that they wanted the best on the market, with equipment that would provide excellent support. That’s why, after the testing and design stage, both the customer and we agreed to use Axis cameras for the entire project,” said Jenny Rubio, a specialist in business automation development at G4S Colombia. Therefore, during the demo stage a large number of Axis camera were used as references, with the goal of finding the ideal model for each specific space in the facilities.
One of the most innovative aspects of the project was the use of cameras with 4K resolution at the entrance doors to the shopping center. The model chosen was AXIS P1428-E. “We realized that for a price very similar to that of traditional cameras, we could get 4K resolution to allow optimal recognition at each of the access doors, with an excellent level of detail and sharpness,” emphasized Nelson Bueno, Operations Manager for the Hayuelos Shopping and Business Center.
4 to 1 savings
It has been possible to detect situations such as the massing of large groups, that previously were not easy to capture evidence of on camera.
Additionally, it has been possible to increase the apprehension of people who commit thefts; this has led to the development of routine procedures for the cameras that offer optical zoom and panning, allowing previously vulnerable areas to be monitored.
The technology used in the NVT PolRE equipment allowed the existing wiring to be reused, further optimizing the resources that entailed the greatest impact and cost. Replacing infrastructure means major construction work in order to replace wiring; this has an impact on time, costs, and above all affects the operation of the shopping center itself.
In contrast, using models such as AXIS Q6000-E Mk II, with its full 360 degree view, made it possible to reduce the number of cameras installed in the parking areas, whose numerous walls and columns present a challenge to overcome. “Each unit in this line allowed us to replace four conventional cameras, which resulted in four times less wiring, installation costs, and even licenses, all without skimping on any of our customer’s monitoring needs,” emphasizes engineer Jenny Rubio.
The 4 to 1 savings could also be seen with AXIS M3007-P and AXIS M3007-PV mini dome cameras, whose 360 panoramic view is used to monitor various areas. The entire field system is complemented by the Pro version of the Milestone VMS recording system, which is used to handle video management of the shopping center and allows video storage for up to 22 days, with 40 TB of disk storage in RAID 5 arrays.
Thanks to the possibilities offered by the equipment and cameras, another stage is planned in order to implement video analytics such as face recognition and people counting.