FEATURE SECURITY
Why IP-based Security is Not as Simple as it Sounds Candid Camera By Ray Ashby, Integrated Systems Business Product Manager, ADI Global Distribution UK
While my comments below are not extensive enough to reach all IP solutions, certain issues are still raised which no doubt are relevant to most. Maybe areas relating to POE standards, integration protocols and even Cat6A and Cat7 standards are for future discussions. I will leave that up to you. IMS Research estimates the
With the continuing development of IP solutions in the market place, it is essential to understand some of the issues and limitations of an IP-based security solution.
global network video market will be worth $2.6 billion by 2011. With this continued growth and development of TCP/IP video and access control solutions, the focus of concern stems towards the security of your CCTV network. Increased threats from hackers and external sources are factors that must be considered. To counteract this threat, video
manufacturers are starting to implement and offer a completely secure solution by utilising Layer 3 enhanced switch functionality, which, when combined with an NVR, provides basic deterministic solutions giving enhanced security capabilities at either VLAN or MAC access control list levels. The IP scheme is unique in that
it allows a general Private Network Address range, as operated in the client’s existing installation, to potentially operate concurrently with an auto-configured address scheme. The questions have to be posed, “Is this a short term appeal to the traditional video installer who is just afraid of setting a few IP addresses? Or is this a real and long term proposal to both security installer and IT manager, where the classic statement “Not on my network” is still the biggest stumbling block to business?” Only time will tell. The development of the IP camera back in 1996 introduced many Security and System Integrators to the benefits of an open protocol and more importantly an open platform solution to the distribution of video, analytics and access control across a TCP/IP network infrastructure. What became rapidly obvious within the market was the lack of interoperability between different vendor products and the limitations brought about through frequently having to utilise a single manufacturer solution. In 2008, both the PSIA (Physical Security Interoperability alliance)
24 NETCOMMS Volume I, Issue 4 2011
and ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) were formed to look into creating a global interface standard for IP-based physical security products. The benefits were three fold: it offered increased flexibility, greater freedom of choice and better future proofing to the end user; it offered integrators & consultants interoperability between different vendor products with simplified installations; and it offered manufacturers and software vendors increased market interest for IP-based security/surveillance solutions. The market will see further
growth with the introduction of more IP products and software solutions supporting the PSIA / ONVIF standards. One of the most important
developments in the IP video market has been the move into HDTV or Megapixel technologies. HDTV and megapixel means higher resolution which in turn means more detail. More detail means better possibilities for identification. Maybe the biggest advantage of HDTV is the fewer cameras needed to cover larger areas with no loss of image resolution compared to traditional analogue systems. One of the major benefits is the aspect ratio offered by many megapixel cameras, with 16:9 being the norm, compared to the standard 4:3 provided in a conventional TV monitor. HDTV has limitations to consider
with regard to compression format types. Compression format types have a direct affect on bandwidth management and storage requirements and are an ongoing necessity. H.264 has been introduced as an open, licensed standard that can reduce the size of digital video images by more than 80% compared to M-JPEG and 50% against MPEG-4; without compromising image quality. Because of the flexibility combined with its economy of bandwidth and storage, H.264 is expected to be more widely adopted than previous compression standards. The shift towards IP-based video
surveillance solutions has been ongoing since the first network camera was introduced in 1996. Despite the benefits of going IP, analogue technology is still entrenched in some
www.netcommseurope.com
markets and segments. There could be numerous reasons for this, such as long replacement cycles of security equipment, a tendency to do partial security system upgrades and IT knowledge gaps among installers. One of the longest-standing arguments against going all-digital has been the perceived higher cost of IP cameras compared to their analogue counterparts. However, cameras are only one part of a video surveillance solution, and the total cost of a complete system is dependent on a number of factors. In the spring of 2007 a study was
carried out by an independent research group, with the aim of determining and comparing the upfront total cost of ownership (TCO) of deploying an IP-based and analogue system in a school scenario with 40 cameras. Based on bids from real integrators, the study found that the TCO of the IP-based system was slightly lower than that of the analogue system. Based on these findings, the break-even point where an IP system exhibits a lower TCO than a similar analogue system was determined to be around 32 cameras. Three years on, the video surveillance market has developed significantly, and a
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60