34 SECURITY Digital dilemma
Internet Protocol technology is bringing a new flexibility to CCTV systems, allowing them to do things they’ve never done before
S
ecurity teams, no matter how skilled or experienced they are, are only as good as the equipment and technology they use to help them tackle crime. And applications,
software written by third parties for use in a variety of hardware products, or systems that ‘lock-in’ with others regardless of manufacturer or supplier, are eliminating ‘closed shop’ and allowing operations teams and security providers to pick and choose from a wide variety of additional features and functions. Guildhall shopping centre in Exeter has recently become, it claims, the first centre in the UK to run a generic PC-based platform for its CCTV. The whole system is underpinned by Milestone, which produce video management software that supports hundreds of different cameras from a wide range of manufacturers, allowing Guildhall to select the best cameras for the job. The system was upgraded in January and involved the
installation, by Leigh Visual Surveillance Systems, of a Dell Server, two Dell PCs modified to work as a DVR, nine Samsung flat screen HD monitors and 14 Axis cameras, all integrated with 32 of the centre’s existing analogue cameras. Milestone SmartClient runs on the two PCs, used in the control room to view the cameras and to burn off copies of incidents, it also
enables any user with a network connected computer or iPhone to access live and recorded video. For centre manager Andrew McNeilly, the decision to move to a PC-based system was all about futureproofing. “As part of the three year contract any software upgrades during that time will be automatically updated for free,” he explains. “We were one of the first to use DVR when everyone said videotape was the right way to go and with analogue and DVR having evolved as far as it can, IP was the next big step. “It works with standard IT structure and there are no ties to the original provider so we can pick and choose based on price and performance. Keeping up-to-date is much like upgrading a computer, as long as you have the right graphics card. Providers may want to dissuade clients from using PC-based systems because it removes closed shop, but it seemed the most obvious way forward for us.”
The fully integrated PC network can be accessed, with the
correct password, from anywhere in the world. Guildhall isn’t a 24/7 manned centre, so any alarm call during the night can be viewed remotely before reinforcements are called in. “One of the challenges in using cutting edge CCTV technology
SHOPPING CENTRE April 2012
www.shopping-centre.co.uk
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