Tag: CCTV integration

The Shield security camera

The Shield security camera.

At IFSEC this year we spent plenty of time looking at The Shield security camera. The camera is a testament to the technology partnership between March Networks and 360 Vision. It combines the best of what both companies are about  and we believe it is soon to hit the American market place. This unity of technology means we predict it will take it by storm.

External security solution.

The hardware side of The Shield security camera is manufactured by 360 vision technology and fits seamlessly together with the clever software solutions developed by March. The Shield has been designed to fit into the needs of customers who mainly have external security issues but need a camera that can operate in the harshest of environments.

March Networks,The CCTV software side.

IP, POE, and analytics have all been cleverly integrated into the camera design and and help to make it attractive to CCTV installers and IT integrators alike. March Networks have fitted all these features together and with their codec at the heart of things it means that videosphere CCTV software acts as the ideal recording solution to compliment this camera.

ONVIF.

The Shield security camera is ONVIF compatible  and this means that it will integrate with other manufactures CCTV software as well. However March Networks and 360 vision also have other ideas they wish to add to this already loaded security solution. An on board hard drive will soon compliment the software recording and this will make it attractive where recording continuity is essential.

Robust design.

The Shield PTZ camera moves beautifully, is fast and quiet and built to last, this makes it ideal for any external needs but don’t rule out using it internally . It will come to the fore when installed in docks , ports airports and sports stadiums to name just a few applications but hangers and warehouses could also suit. When installed outside it has a wiper to ensure weather does not become a factor and is extremely robust in design, resisting all the elements can throw at it.

Megapixel IP Camera.

Could there be any more developments round the corner? There are plans to integrate Megapixel  technology into the package and this will add just one more benefit to what is already a very loaded CCTV camera.

Conclusion.

Having seen how the Shield camera works, big sales are inevitable, upgrades of  PTZ cameras are the ideal target market for this product and viewing the Shield Security camera on the web is highly recommended.

ONVIF Standards for IP based security products

ONVIF global open interface standard

CCTV integrators have long struggled to integrate CCTV security products together because of all the different protocols and platforms out there developed in isolation by individual manufacturers.

IP CCTV and CCTV software.

With the growing influence of IP cameras and CCTV software ONVIF have bought together the larger manufacturers and integrators to embrace a protocol that will help form standard platform for CCTV integration in the years to come.

Why?

Well quite simply it makes it easier for manufacturers to sell their products. The installers are not hampered by constantly trying to integrate together several different products that are not compatible and the end user gets a better deal and is not beholden to the installer for the life time of the equipment.

What does the standard do?

Well essentially it looks at the network interface , specifically the network layer and looks to ensure all products conform in the following areas:

Real time viewing

Device discovery

Device management

Media config

Event handling

PTZ control

Security

Video analytics

IP configuration

Future proof.

The standard allows flexibility and does not prevent innovation and of course should a manufacturer who uses ONVIF compliant equipment go out of business then there are plenty of others there to pick up the pieces and most importantly the end user is not left with a system no one else can integrate IP CCTV equipment into.

When.

The first product that conformed to ONVIF was released in August 2009 and by the time IFSEC 2010 arrives there will be over 70 products from 10 manufactures to check out.

Three founder members Bosch AXIS  Sony

The 3 founder members were Bosch AXIS and Sony since then more have joined including:

Cannon

IDIS

IndigoVision

Panasonic

March Networks

Samsung

Siemiens

Texas Instruments

Hik Vison

Cisco

Alhua

There are many others now contributing to this standard.

IP Access control.

ONVIF also have now announced that they will be extending their scope to incluse IP access control products to. With so much integration going on between the two technologies it will be interesting to see what manufacturers jump on board and how quickly they do this.

Conclusion.

Open platform standards really do help everyone in the end. They allow innovators into the market place and give stability to the industry and value to the end user. As IP security products become the dominant force in the security industry we applaud this bold step forward.

Paxton Access Control solutions

Why use Paxton Access control?

Paxton are one of the leading suppliers of Access control solutions in Europe today. They have targeted small to medium sized business and have come up with some excellent products that suit the needs of their target audience.

What can access control do for your business?

The best way to manage access control solutions within a business is to control and perform the administration through a central PC. This means networking the readers in order to establish movement throughout the premises. The result is that information entered into the PC is sent to each door controller and uploaded to the readers .

What are the benefits of this?

Readers can be programmed to only accept individuals tokens at certain times in certain doors. It allows event reporting so that the administrator knows who has been where in the building and when? Other benefits include control of other buildings on site through a LAN connection or off site through a WAN or broadband connection.

CCTV integration.

CCTV can also be integrated along with other products such as biometric readers and fire alarm systems. Roll call and Muster points give added benefits to the end user.

Proactive.

Access control is a proactive security solution. It stops crime before it can happen by limiting access through a building and controlling movement. Sales are predicted to grow steadily over the next few years and biometrics especially will make the access control systems out there more secure and give plenty of opportunities to upgrade existing installations.  IFSEC will be exhibiting plenty of access control solutions this year but Paxton will be one to keep your eye out for.

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!