Month: March 2010

Castle Care-Tec New Panel Release

Euro 46

Castle Care-Tech will be launching its new Euro 46 intruder alarm panel on April 1st 2010.

The panel

The new Euro 46 intruder panel seems to be targeting the mid- size intruder market and is suitable for either a grade 2 or 3 installation. Quite simply this panel has to be described as an entry level 8 zone panel and a base locked product. With the use of  Zems the zoning  can be increased to a maximum of 46 zones in total. It does boast simplicity, no MSX cards to add in and it is quite simply what you see is what you get.

No IP Integration

In a world that sees IP integration as the way forward, the Euro 46 does not seem to incorporate this feature. Communication is through the traditional Output method of a ribbon cable that enables it to be integrated to Redcare GSM , Dual-com Emizon  etc. You are also able to achieve downloading and remote servicing through a modem that can easily interface into the panel.

Benefits

Benefits include 6 areas rather than levels and this offers greater flexibility the Euro 46 also has the standard integrated access control built in. Interestingly Castle have decided to move away from ID with this panel and only offer EOL or double pole sensor termination. Various wiring  options mean upgrades are easy and together with the eol/dp sensor wiring perhaps this will bring some welcome stability to systems installed in harsh environments.

Setting

Card, tag or pin setting together with the ability to accommodate 6 keypads and 40 programmable outputs and up to 75 users add some excellent features and Castle claim that this is one of their easiest panels to programme however in fairness they have never been difficult .These features just adds to the suitability of the  the market they seem to be targeting with this panel.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Euro 46 promises to be a stable , flexible panel that should fit into most situations . It would appear that this panel could well help Castle to continue to capture new installers and end users into their fold, lets hope this is the reward for their efforts.

Cisco, Chubb, ADT who will come out top in the battle of IP CCTV?

IP CCTV the next generation of CCTV

IP CCTV is where the next generation of CCTV and integrated security is going. We have to wait and see though who will be providing the CCTV solutions of the future. Will it be the big IT integrators or the giants of the security installing industry?

There can only be one real winner

Both cant come out on top and there is huge potential with the introduction of HD CCTV that is set to change the face of the video surveillance market place forever.

Our view

We have reviewed the situation and ask that you click here to see how we think this battle will develop.

Samsung Immix Integration

Samsung

Samsung, one of the leading innovators in IP CCTV integration have been working recently to bring together many of their camera and digital recorder solutions onto the Immix central station front end control software.

Who are Sureview Immix?

Immix is one of the most popular software solutions used by central stations across the UK  for integrated CCTV solutions. By integrating all the relevant protocols into Sureview’s Immix front end software, Samsung have ensured that their product can be specified far more often especially when end users have a preferred central station.

Partnership

So as to enhance this partnership Samsung together with Sureview Immix have agreed to work together to increase integration of their two products going onwards into in the future. Central station operators find the Immix software easy to use because of the fact that much of the operation is self automated, its enhanced features also allows it to be integrated to access control packages as well.

Summary

In summary this is a clever move by Samsung . IP monitoring is going to be the next step in the expansion of CCTV monitoring in general and Immix is at the fore-front of this growth potential. As companies look to cut costs such as security guards or older Adpro ISDN solutions they will be looking for products and central stations that can give them choice and flexibility.

CCTV Security installer vs IT integrator

What is the end user thinking about IP security solutions ?

We have been speaking to marketing departments and telesales personnel currently working very hard to promote their company and products. The reason being is that we have wanted to ask  several pointed questions in order to gauge the current awareness about IP CCTV in the public domain.

They don’t Know!

The answer I get back every time is “no one seems to know anything about it“!. Strange when you consider that you cannot talk to manufacturer or distributor without  IP security and CCTV integration being at the very top of his agenda.

IT departments are more switched on .

Going into more detail it appears that any mention of IP only raises the interest of IT departments. Interesting when you consider that really an IP camera is nothing more than a device on the network to an IP integrator. It does not phase them and is no big deal. So, how can the CCTV industry raise awareness to its end user about the way the industry is progressing towards IP and convince them that a security company is the way that they should upgrade their cameras and not go to an IT integrator such as CISCO.

Sell what you are good at!

Well one thing in a CCTV installers favour is that on going service costs traditionally are cheaper than field IT support. On investigation we found that IT service providers have a far higher hourly rate that that of a security installer add to that that IT integrators really know nothing about how to properly secure a premises. Further to this CCTV installers are very aware the implications of failures and down times and they are audited by the NSI or SSAIB to ensure they achieve the highest standards to the end user. These benefits must be maximised to secure contracts that could otherwise be awarded to an IT integrator.

The main issue.

But back to the main problem as to how we make our end users switch and upgrade. The real answer to this is the better images and flexibility that IP Cameras can offer. Remember the days when the crime watch video showed out of focus staggered CCTV footage that made even the most enthusiastic advocates of CCTV shudder and hang their heads in shame. Well now there is HD CCTV coming to the market that really will produce images to be proud of and this can only be provided on an IP platform. However the real weapon we  have as security companies is legacy analogue equipment. There is quite simply too much value out there to be replaced overnight. So therefore by targeting customers and introducing hybrid CCTV solutions to them we should be first through the door. Many are already our customers after all.

Conclusion.

So the answer is simple . Lower servicing costs, emphasis our expertise in security issues and by using legacy equipment out there as the bait to draw end users into the IP CCTV market place. Using this approach security providers can still win the battle. Panasonic, Honeywell, Pelco, Flir, Cisco, Norbain, 360 vision technology, it does not matter who. They will all be interested to know the answer as to who is going to win so they can all target their marketing strategies appropriately!

Emizon IP communicator

IP communicator.

The Emizon 21 IP communicator is the latest player in the monitoring market. It’s a dual path signaling device and uses the broadband connection and GPRS  to connect to the central station. It comes in grade 2,3and 4, grade 4 being the equivalent of Redcare GSM.

Selling points.

Emizon is secure , simple future proofed and exceptional value for money. It is also 21CN compatible. Even if you have no alarm on site it can monitor your broadband connection to ensure your business maintains a 24/7 broadband connection if necessary. There are no call charges involved.

It saves money on two counts. It is cheaper to monitor than Redcare GSM and more importantly it means no dedicated line is required.

So how did it all start?

Emizon was conceived as far back as 2001 when the original patents were filed for.

The concept was proved in 2005 and touted to the industry in 2006. In 2007 the ARC’s started to accept the platform and a steady rise in popularity has meant it is now increasing its market share across the world.

Some control panels have Emizon integrated into them during manufacture so this product is undoubtedly here to stay and certainly looks like it could dominate the IP monitoring market for years to come.

10 reasons to use IP Monitoring

1) Emizon works with all broadband providers. Offers integrated security as it is able to integrate to CCTV and Access control.

2) 100% guarantee to work on the new BT 21CN platform.

3)  Firmware upgrades and pin changes can be made with the touch of a button.

4)  The grade 4 Emizon is equivalent to Redcare GSM and is accepted as totally secure within the insurance industry.

5)  No dedicated line is required so savings can be made on phone line costs when upgrading.

6) In terms of cost the Emizon can deliver two signalling paths for the same money as you would normally pay for single path.

7)  The TDC is easy to install and is not site specific , meaning it can be kept in stock for same day installation.

8)  Through broadband access via the Emizon you can remotely interrogate your alarm panel so you can do remote servicing on your alarm panel.

9)  Comes in grade 2,3,and 4 so can be used for any application.

10)  Gives the customer not only notice if their alarm panel has lost its monitoring path but also helps to monitor all broadband services so if the customer needs 24hour on line reliability to run their business it they will know of any  BROADBAND failure.