Tag: analytics

Integrated CCTV System

Integrated CCTV systems.

What are the elements involved in a fully integrated CCTV system?  Starting with the a basic CCTV system we will always have the cameras , the DVR and the monitor. this is what people generally understand when they ask to have a CCTV system installed.

Lots of applications.

We can have an internal CCTV system, an external CCTV system or we can have a mixture of both. Until recently CCTV systems tended to be restricted to a fairly small number of cameras usually up to about 16. Of course there has always been a need on bigger sites for more cameras but there was always the restrictions. The number of frames per second per camera that a DVR could process for instance. The more FPS the more expensive the DVR tended to be to accommodate. Then of course we have the picture quality. Analogue CCTV cameras have always been restricted as to how many lines they can produce to make up the image we see on the screen.

Better picture quality.

Although cameras have advanced to allow more lines,  420 TVL would be typical for instance. It does not stop there, we are then restricted by the monitors and the picture quality they can produce . With the introduction of IP we now have the exciting development of HD CCTV and this means mega pixels and in turn a huge advance in picture quality that we can expect from our recorded images in the future.

Integrated CCTV solutions provide so much more.

Integrated CCTV systems though consist of more .They can be hybrid CCTV systems part analogue, part IP. They can be Integrated to access control systems and linked to central stations. They can be linked to external alarm systems. Sensors, fixed beams and so on to give us many different security solutions and the ability to generate alarms.

CCTV in the future.

Most integrated CCTV systems of the future however will be able to incorporate analytics to generate alarms. This could be used to warn of a terrorists threat such as abandoned luggage and suspicious behaviour etc. The CCTV systems can be integrated to ANPR software that will allow number plate recognition to control barriers and access control and the  police are able to track suspicious vehicles across the country by using this ANPR technology. CCTV systems can now integrate to biometric readers to allow faces to be linked to finger prints this offers companies a huge upgrade of security within their organisation.

In summary.

In summary CCTV systems on their own will be a thing of the past. Integrated security in its many forms is the way forward for the future. IP cameras and the improved picture quality they bring together with analytics and more flexibilty are just around the corner , things are moving fast!

Car dealer is spending 70K on security guards

Cost savings. Are they realistic?

We have talked about integrating various systems together without actually giving any real examples so below is one that integrated CCTV came across late last year and the solutions we provided.

The scenario

A large car dealer is currently spending nearly £70k per annum on a manned security guard to look after their site 365 days a year. Although the guarding company is doing a fairly good job, a risk assessment has proved that in the case of a break- in the chance of him being in the right place at the right time is slim. Therefore the company in question has concluded that it needs to source a far more cost effective method to secure the site.

Where can the cables go?

The site is 30,000 square meters and has no real secure fencing, anyone can enter the site at will and they have millions of pounds worth of stock on show. Due to the lack of fencing there are no real cable routes and also no fixing points for sensors on the perimeter and the whole site is block paved and this leaves no opportunity to trench or put up many poles.

The solution… Integrated security!

We concluded that a radical solution was required. One that used cutting edge technology together with an effective visual and audible deterrent, We also need to effect a manned response to a genuine alarm situation but not scare off any genuine customers viewing cars up to a certain time in the evening.

To add to our problems as mentioned before there was very limited scope to fix poles and run cables so sensors and fixed beams had to be ruled out. There was only one realistic answer left and this was to use analytics to generate alarms.

Light levels

The light levels were good and we decided to recommend a mixture of IP, wireless and traditional analogue cameras together with analytics to get the ultimate system and bring it in within budget.

The cameras on the building are wired in a traditional way, coax back to a standard codec to produce the analytics, then onto a hybrid DVR that was connected via broadband to a remote monitoring station. The IP cameras on the perimeter are to be  fixed  onto just two poles and linked via a wireless IP transmitter back to the hybrid dvr.

Controlling alarms

Sitting in between this was a control panel used to process alarms, generate on site verbal deterrent and sounders designed to remove unauthorised intruders. If this failed then the system was designed to call out the manned response but only as a final measure again helping to keep on going costs to a minimum.

Analytics

The use of analytics to generate the alarms however was the key to this working. Only in very recent times have we been able to use them effectively outside and in limited lighting conditions. This type of alarm generation will soon supersede traditional sensor technology and can only get better and better as large cooperation’s begin to invest heavily in analytics.

Conclusion

In conclusion the recommendations mean the car dealer now has the opportunity to lower security costs and will start to see savings filter through after 18 months or so. He has a system that is future proofed for at least the next 5 years and beyond. He has eyes all over the site 24/7/365 and as well as better security he has also got a sales tool and a health and safety watchdog as well as a deterrent system. Quite a few benefits for a great deal less money.

Things to look out for in the coming weeks on this site

Saving money on security guards

We look at a case study for a site that was spending over 70 thousand pounds a year on security guards. We discuss how this can be cut to a fraction of that cost by using  Analytics.

FLIR thermal imaging cameras.

We look into the new thermal imaging camera released by FLIR that is light and very cost efficeint  something we all thought would be impossible for a thermal imaging camera.

ANPR cameras. 

 How they work? and where they are being used today.We highlight some good and some bad points about them.

Biometrics.

We ask whether this technology is ever going to become as big within the security market place as it promised to be when it was first launched.

Adpro and IP.

Can Adpro ever get back to where they were in the CCTV transmission market place. It was not so long ago they were the only choice when transmitting CCTV images.

CCTV distributors.

We discuss whether CCTV distributors need to look at a different route to market now that IP cameras are so popular.

Emizon IP.

We talk about Emizon and what it means for IP intruder alarm monitoring.

Raytec.

This revolutionary new lighting technology has turned a few heads but will it replace all the old halogen lighting systems out there?

NSI.

Does the security industry need this regulator and how will IP camera systems impact  on this inspectorate?

CCTV Analytics

Why will analytics be such a huge step forward for CCTV?

Analytics is an advanced form of video motion detection that uses
Software algorithms in order to generate alarms when certain
conditions and scenarios occur within the field of view of the camera.
For example if a person is seen to be loitering in area for a length
of time that has been deemed inappropriate then the software can
recognise this fact and trip an alarm to notify an operator. It can
also notify when an area is violated by a person but is adaptable
enough to realize the difference between a human and a cat for instance.
How does this help the operator?

In the case where a guard is looking at multiple views over a
prolonged period of time he will inevitably need help. Analytics is
able to provide reliable alarms to notify him of a situation that is
occurring that he needs to know about, so when we have a manned system
the benefits are obvious.
Analytic alarm systems.

However more importantly we can use the analytics to generate alarms
to trip automated alarm sounders and warning voices and also notify a
remote guard that he may need to attend site.
This removes the need for a man on site and this means cost savings can be huge, sometimes tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds a year. This has driven the market and now some very big organizations are now involved in the development and promotion of this technology.
So effective are analytics going to be in the future that external alarm sensors and fixed beams could soon be a thing of the past.

Applications also include perimeter protection, object abandonment,
person or object tracking. Colour recogniton, people counting, speeding
vehicles.
What about old camera systems?

Analytics can easily be fitted to existing CCTV systems and the
advantage of fitting analytics to old camera systems is we can then
make ineffective old technology suddenly intelligent .The experts see
that fitting analytics retrospectively is a massive market place and an
alternative to a complete upgrade of some older systems out there.It
is important however to point out that the analytics can only be as
good as the picture they are trying to analyse so people must be
realistic with their expectations. Lighting at night is also another
crucial factor to consider, remember analytics can’t work in the dark
so duel chip cameras and IR lighting are important things to bring
into the equation.
So next time you consider upgrading , reducing costs or generally
making more of your CCTV systems ask us here for advice on how we can
help you.