IP CCTV – the true cost?

IP CCTV – it’s not just about the cost, it’s about the total cost of ownership

Calculating the “Total Cost of Ownership” (TCO) of an IP CCTV system can highlight its true worth to the end user. Despite an initial greater capital outlay on the cameras, compared to their analogue equivalents, an IP CCTV system will more than pay back the difference in the long run.
It is probably true to say that for small, stand alone CCTV systems, analogue CCTV solutions have the lowest equipment costs. However, for medium and large CCTV applications, there is very little difference. IP CCTV system design is different to analogue, making direct comparisons very difficult. Indeed installers modelling network CCTV applications on analogue systems are probably not taking full advantage of the potential cost savings, and certainly missing out on the added functionality available.

ip cameras

CCTV equipment costs are simple to quantify, from PTZ cameras, fixed cameras, dome cameras, NVRs, DVRs, Ethernet switches and matrices through to Ethernet and structured cabling. TCO considers the time and costs saved in set-up, support, on-going maintenance, service and operation, most of which can be measured as ‘man hours’ saved. IP CCTV enables quicker and often simpler cabling, intuitive set-up, easier commissioning, the opportunity for off-site maintenance and remote equipment set-up – all reducing man hours and subsequently the TCO.

The additional benefits that come with IP CCTV systems, such as increased reliability, improved image quality, greater functionality, efficiency and scalability also reduce the TCO. This takes the value of IP CCTV’s superior functionality into account, rather than equipment cost savings and reduced installation time.

VMS

Reliability:
The greater reliability provided by IP-based systems, especially those using server-rated HDD and RAID5 back-up storage, means fewer maintenance calls and site visits are necessary. Many would suggest that IP CCTV must be the first choice for mission-critical applications, where continuous operation is essential, and where the cost of losing critical data through unreliable systems could be catastrophic.

Image Quality:
IP CCTV systems take full advantage of mega-pixel technology. Entry level Megapixel IP cameras have around 1.3 mega-pixel resolution. An analogue camera will have nearer 0.4 mega-pixels. Additionally, the entire IP system can operate in digital format. Many analogue systems convert digital formats to analogue ones for transmission, compression, storage, display and so on. IP systems use digital cameras on a digital network, transmitting directly to a NVR and on to a digital display. Removing the analogue to digital conversions means there are less opportunities for image degradation.

Remote Monitoring:
Remote and multi-site monitoring is easily implemented using IP technology. Multiple sites, additional cameras and further site security systems can be added to a network quickly and easily. Remote monitoring via PC/Mac, smartphone/PDA or a third party remote monitoring station also become simple services to add.

Honeywell HRDP iPhone

Intelligence and Efficiency:
There are significant developments in video analytics / video intelligence within IP CCTV. Intelligence can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a security system. Events such as “wrong way” or a “left object” will start the system recording, ensuring that very little unnecessary data is recorded. The system does not become clogged with hours of irrelevant recording, yet will provide high quality images for evidence, when required. The event can also be used to initiate an operator or even police response. This functionality also preserves data storage capacity, saves on ‘search and retrieve’ time for operators, and reduces the amount of unwanted data transmitted over an IP network.

Scalability:
Businesses usually require a single, scalable, integrated and flexible security solution. IP CCTV offers almost infinite scalability, requiring just a network over which to operate. IP technology is built on a single, common, communication platform, onto which a number of other site security and management functions can be added. These include intruder alarm; access control; fire safety; retail management, including POS and EAS systems; building management, including lighting, and opening and closing barriers and doors; and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). In fact, the list is almost endless and can include anything with IP compatibility.

Equipment Cost Reduction:
If the benefits of IP CCTV alone are not enough, then trends in the ultra-competitive IT industry make it easy to predict that PC Hardware, hard disk drive capacity and network hardware capability will continue to increase rapidly, at little or no extra cost. An IP CCTV system is future-proof. Security technology is becoming increasingly IP-based and this trend will not change as the benefits are irrefutable. Not only are IP systems easier to use and more reliable, but they also have excellent scalability and save money over time.

When the total cost of ownership is considered, IP could provide the cheapest and most flexible solution available.

IP camera systems.Time to upgrade from analogue

IP camera systems  have long been the preferred upgrade path for the CCTV industry as whole. This is however a little behind schedule as far as we see it and mainly due to the reluctance of end users to waste the investment they have already ploughed into their analogue CCTV solutions. This is where the use of Hybrid CCTV solutions can gently push the industry into the area where they really want to go. IP camera systems have been around since around 1996.

IP camera
Videosphere MegaPX nanodome

Bandwidth and network capability have always been the factor that has slowed the move to IPCCTV however recent advancements in broadband speeds and network performance means that all possibilities are now very much in the frame. Security equipment manufacturers are however pushing harder for their kit to be totally all IP based .This is also backed by IMS research figures that predict a spending of 2.6 billion US dollars on ip video systems by the end of last year. Other limitations on the growth of IP camera solutions has been the global recession and an apathy towards IP CCTV training from entrenched CCTV installers. This will of course change as the price of IP video systems fall and the benefits become ever clearer. In the meantime however as we mentioned earlier Hybrid solutions will help ease us all into the IP surveillance way of thinking.

ip cameras

Why though has the transition to IP camera solutions and Video management systems been so slow? Well cheap imports have meant that many end users have decided to make do for the time being. With money tight in the UK spending on security has gone into reverse something that none of the IP camera manufacturers could have predicted when they planned their upgrade paths some 5 years ago. All is not lost though.The pure quality and flexibility that can be produced by HD cameras and now megapixel IP cameras mean that at some stage the tipping point will be reached.  IP camera systems will become cheaper and the natural progression to IP camera systems will start to snowball.

Avigilon position themselves for the future.

Avigilon logo

Avigilon have repeatedly shown over the last couple of years that they are clearly one of the market leaders when it comes to high spec megapixel IP camera solutions and video surveillance systems.

This has been re-enforced with the announcement that they have employed 3 new
sales executives in order to meet the growing demand across the Globe.
In addition to this they have promoted key personnel from within their
organization who have achieved the highest performance during the course
of last year.

Avigilon Camera HD Pro

This balance between new employees and experienced staff shows an
unrelenting determination by Avigilon to continue the exceptional growth
they have managed to achieve since 2007…….. an astonishing 300%.

This growth is expected to continue throughout 2011 and over the next
few years, so this move leaves Avigilon in an excellent position to
capitalize as IP video systems become the accepted way forward in the
world of CCTV and surveillance.

CCTV engineer. What is your future?

CCTV engineers are you listening?

CCTV engineers,  luddites! Harsh perhaps, but in our experience it is the CCTV engineers within the security industry who least like change. Over the years they have seen little change to how their basic job works. Yes regulation means they have had to embrace a few tweaks to the standards and to be fair most engineers are happy to take these on board, but new technology presents a different problem. Up until the last few years the only serious technology introduced into their job spec has been the DVR. Most engineers did come to terms quite quickly with the new menus and the general installation of the now common DVR. Rarely however did this require the use of a laptop to set up and any networking tended to be done by a commissioning engineer who swept up after them. Now however things are about to change in a big way and those who don’t make the effort to embrace new ideas will be left behind.

IP video systems.

IP video systems are here and this requires a whole new approach by CCTV engineers who to all intensive purposes will see many parts of their job disappear over the next 5 years. Basic IT skills are an essential and probably much more than just the basics will need to be instilled into the CCTV engineers job specs  to enable them to install and understand IP video in the new era.

IP CCTV Training courses.

To be fair to IP camera manufacturers, they are very keen to get training to everyone they can. Rarely does a day go by without an email landing into the inbox advertising a free training course for engineers to help them brush up on the skills they need . However in this climate of recession CCTV installers have cut back on all training and even if this training is free they still have to consider the cost implications of taking their engineers off the road for the duration of the course. So are CCTV engineers going to be left to hang out to dry and simply be replaced by IT network technicians? Well we will have to wait and see but a wake up call has been sent out …..is anyone listening?

TCO of an IP Surveillance system. The burning question!

Analogue CCTV v IP camera solutions

An acquaintance  of mine is responsible for building very large hotels from the ground up to the handing over the finished building. Nice work if you can get it! Being a very astute kind of fellow he phoned me up for some advice regarding the security aspect of his newest project. The question he asked was one that is being put to many specifiers at the moment and is one that we believe is the burning question about IP surveillance systems today. That is the TCO or total cost of ownership of IP video systems v analogue CCTV.

Why do IP cameras cost more?

What was confusing my friend and quite rightly, was this. Why was his ME contractor charging him £500 per camera for a 68 way IP camera system? He saw this as costly and the first thing he did, as many would, is check this out on the Internet. He quite simply could not justify this cost when he saw that he could buy what seemed like a perfectly adequate analogue CCTV camera for not much more than £100. So armed with some prices he rang me to know what I thought and find out if he was about to get ripped off.

NVT

Firstly we explored how far the hotel build had advanced and how the cabling had been structured. It seemed that from day one the designers of the networking infrastructure were always intending to go down the IP camera route. I explained that if we wanted to use analogue cameras there was a little more we needed to cost in before we could make a fair comparison. Firstly there was a possibility that we may be able to use the CAT5 cable and by using an NVT solution we could encode and decode the analogue video at each camera and termination point. This however involved a cost and quite a bit more labour to make each end off. I also explained that cable distances were important to decide whether he would need active or passive transmitters and receivers. In addition I asked him if the analogue cameras he had sourced also came with lenses because other wise we need to add £50 per camera straight away, the answer to this was no.

PoE is so much quicker!

I then explained that each camera would need a power supply as the  IP cameras would be PoE, so perhaps another £30 for each PSU once installed needed to be added. In addition for each power supply we would need a fused spur, that would also need to be certificated, so add another £100 per camera. We were not finished yet as each camera would take longer to install and set up, perhaps another £25 or so per unit.

Is it still cheaper?

My friend could see that now costs were beginning to add up but still the analogue CCTV system still seemed a cheaper solution …just.

DVR  v NVR

I then asked him about what recording solution was going to be put in place. Although he was not exactly sure of the make , what he seemed to describe was Milestone software or something similar together with a server to record all his images, I asked if this needed to be accessed remotely and it seemed it did.

High quality DVR.

I then explained that to get a similar picture quality together with the 28 days recording he was asking for would mean he was going to need some high end spec DVRs and what was worse he was going to need 5 of them. I suggested that he check out the cost of these but said in reality this could potentially add at least another couple of thousand pounds to his cost of going analogue.

Clear crisp images

We then went onto picture quality and features that Megapixel IP cameras would be able to provide over an analogue CCTV solution. PoE , auto-focus and better flexibility with recorded images all added to the benefits of the IP option.

The decision.

In summary he was left to make some difficult decisions but in the end I believe that it was the future proofing that an IP surveillance system could give him,  just about made his mind up!