Category: Case Study

Ted’s Pawn, located in Norwood, OH, has successfully been using video verification technology to reduce false alarms and catch the bad guys before they’re able to gain entry to the store and adjoining storage lot. “Ted’s Pawn has been a long-time customer for us,” explained Wayne Lisle, VP and GM for Sonitrol SW Ohio, “They’ve had analog video surveillance for about eight years, and we had been utilizing audio verification of alarms for the inside of the store. The outside lot was a different story.” The Ted’s Pawn outdoor lot is filled with vehicles, motorcycles, boats, and high value items that they must protect. “We wanted to do video verification for the lot,” said Lisle, “but until recently there were many challenges – complicated installation, connectivity, reliability, and eliminating false alarms.” “Now with a 3xLOGIC hybrid DVR, we can use analytics to associate existing outdoor cameras – two cover the yard, two cover the shop’s roof – to the Sonitrol panel and seamlessly provide video alarm feeds to our Sonitrol central station to detect and verify any threat. Going forward, Ted’s can install IP cameras and even thermal cameras to the existing network covering the lot.” In the most recent incident at Ted’s, the Sonitrol operator received a video alarm feed showing a man entering the outdoor lot. The operator dispatched police and the suspect was apprehended in short order. “One of the most important aspects of our business is taking care of our customer’s valuable items,” said Ralph Tincher of Ted’s Pawn Shop, “One of the ways that we’ve taken the extra step to ensure we’re taking care of their precious goods is partnering with Sonitrol Verified Video security. Years ago, at our former location we had a break-in. The thief was able to get into the building and do some damage. After talking to other members in our industry, we found out there are ways to catch thieves before they get into your building.” “Here at our new, larger location where we deal with a lot of high-dollar items, we’ve had three attempted breakins in the last six years. Every single time, thanks to Sonitrol verified video, powered by 3xLOGIC technology, those thieves were caught before they got anywhere near to entering the building,” Tincher concluded.  

Specified to provide a comprehensive security, health & safety and production management tool, SAIC General Motors Wuling (SGMW), is now operating a Hikvision based HD surveillance system at one of the world’s newest vehicle manufacturing plants. Established in 2002 by a joint venture and investment between SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd, General Motors and Guangxi Motor Corporation, SGMW is now an annual producer of 1 million commercial vehicles and passenger cars, including MPVs. SGMW has recently opened a third manufacturing plant located in Bekasi, Indonesia to meet its ambitious automotive production plans. Costing USD700 million, the new factory is built on a massive 60-hectare site and is expected to contribute to the creation of some 10,000 local jobs, producing its first vehicles under the Wuling brand. To provide the level of intelligent camera functionality and surveillance management required to meet the demands of the state-of-the-art SGMW factory project, the automotive manufacturer enlisted the help of Hikvision distributor, Prima Inovasi Teknologi. Smart surveillance Installed by Autojaya, the 172 Hikvision full HD smart video surveillance camera based system was designed from the outset to deliver the high quality of imaging and intelligent functionality required by SGMW. Integrating full HD capture, recording, decoding and display, the system utilises IP transmission over a local fibre video private network (VPN). Using a mix of Hikvision DS-2DF8223I-AEL 2MP WDR Darkfighter IR PTZ cameras with smart tracking & detection, DS-2CD6026FWD/ E-L ultra-low light Smart Darkfighters, DS-2CD4A26FWDIZ 2MP smart low light cameras and DS-2CD6986F-H 8MP multi-imager panoramic dome cameras with 180° horizontal view, the HD camera system supplies ultra-detailed imaging of every key internal and external factory location. Across the entire site, the full HD smart camera network provides effective scene coverage and VCA alarm activation, providing HD imaging and automated situation alarm handling for the factory’s vehicle production areas, components warehouse, restaurants, data centre, offices, perimeter fence line, and exit & entry points, via a bespoke ANPR subsystem. Along with the HD surveillance cameras, the system uses Hikvision DS-3E1318P-E Web-managed PoE switches, DS-6916UDI HD decoders and DS-96128NI-I24 128-channel super 4K NVRs with up to 12 megapixel resolution recording, multi-format video encoding and HDD hot swappable storage to deliver ‘live’ and ‘recorded’ camera images to the factory’s Control Centre. To maximise the high level of image detail the HD cameras deliver, the system’s camera images are displayed on two massive video walls, consisting of multiple Hikvision DSD2055NL-B LCD HD ultra-slim 55” display monitors. E-Map control At the Control Centre, SGMW operatives view the entire factory site on a 3D electronic E-Map render, with intuitive smart control provided by Hikvision’s iVMS-5200 Enterprise Software. Using the 3D site map, operators can easily locate and select any system camera, and control specific camera live or recorded video, along with video preview of triggered alarms, with their precise locations displayed via graphical icons on the factory EMap. Using the Enterprise Class Hikvision HD camera based system, operators can monitor in real-time, every stage of the vehicle production line process in finite detail. In the event of an incident or anything unusual taking place, the operators can react quickly, and select and review video information for analysis and reaction to the case, to keep vehicle production safe, whilst maintaining production and management efficiency. Multiple applications The system’s archived video data can be accessed for use by many factory departments, to provide visual information to remedy specific problems and support improved manufacturing and management efficiency, as well as the factory’s health & safety environment. Vehicular traffic is managed by a separate Hikvision ANPR subsystem with automated whitelist and blacklist alarm management, to ensure fast and smooth traffic flow in and out of the factory. “The Hikvision surveillance system supports SGMW’s site-wide management needs across many disciplines,” comments Bella, Lead Engineer of SGMW, “Using the cameras for multifunctional applications enriches the efficiency, security and implementation of best practice management across the whole factory, paying back its initial return on investment and operational value many times.” “The system’s end-to-end unified hardware and software delivers advanced situation awareness of the factory’s personnel, vehicle production line, paint shop, data centre, offices and finished vehicles storage,” explains Arijanto, Director of Autojaya, “Using Hikvision Smart camera VCA alarm functionality, the system has been configured to provide the highest level of protection and safety for factory personnel, assets and site facilities. Any unauthorised access attempt to the site’s perimeter or internal restricted areas are all covered by the system, offering advanced protection whilst reducing the number of security guards needed.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) accepted the latest Integrated Fixed Tower (IFT) border security system deployed by Elbit Systems of America, LLC. This IFT system, located in the Sonoita, Arizona, Area of Responsibility (AoR), marks the company’s third successful deployment of the system. Other previous deployments of IFT accepted by CBP were for the Douglas and Nogales, Arizona AoRs. “Our advanced technologies provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection with trusted border security capabilities,” said Raanan Horowitz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Elbit Systems of America, “America’s Border Patrol agents rely on our operationally proven solutions for greater situational awareness and enhanced safety.” As the system integrator, Elbit Systems of America furnishes the sensor towers with radar, day/ night cameras, and command and control software that combines data into a single operating picture. Information from all the towers is networked into Border Patrol Station command and control centers, which increases situational awareness for Border Patrol Agents. IFT has proven to be a reliable system and provides CBP with 24/7 surveillance coverage. The system also provides CBP with a platform to integrate existing and future sensors to further improve border protection and agent safety. On the path to system acceptance, significant milestones must occur. Several months of construction, integration, test activity, and system verification ensure each IFT meets performance requirements. Each system must detect, track, identify, and classify border activity. Elbit Systems of America continues to meet customer performance and schedule requirements, as well as adhering to cost goals for this program.

When moving to a new headquarters four times larger, the School of Information and Communication of the University of the Republic of Uruguay in Montevideo needed to implement a video monitoring system that provides high performance and reliability. The University is a structure of 8,500 square meters and four floors that now house nearly 4,000 students, 200 teachers and 80 administrative and logistics staff on a daily basis. As Yonathan Benelli, IT Manager at Udelar states, “The new headquarters greatly increased the vulnerability points for security. Without a video system like the one now implemented, it would be unfeasible to maintain an acceptable level of security.” Benelli adds that despite the need for a professional video surveillance system for the educational institution, it was unthinkable to carry out a traditional CCTV installation with coaxial cabling, due to its high cost. Therefore, the installation of a Milestone IP video management system within the existing IT network infrastructure versus performing a coaxial interconnection resulted in a very significant cost reduction. The savings were not only in technology acquisition, but also in hardware and human resources. “We estimate that without this system, we would have needed at least four added employees dedicated to surveillance. Also, we took advantage of existing hardware,” said Benelli. A custom-made solution Foxsys, the company managing the technology integration for this project, proposed the implementation of the XProtect Professional solution from Milestone Systems. It is an open interface application designed for IP network video management software with easy, intuitive and powerful functions. The XProtect Smart Client interface has advanced search tools that combine with an easy-to-navigate video timeline, allowing users to quickly and accurately examine events. It also offers sophisticated export options, including the Storyboard feature, which helps consolidate relevant video evidence to gain a complete view of incidents. According to Juan Martín González, Commercial Director of the Foxsys Integrating Firm, “The XProtect Professional software was selected because of the system’s alarm notifications which were important in this application.” He said the solution was complemented by two virtual machines that operate on an HP server and are managed by the software Promox, which proved highly reliable. Digital Watchdog and Hikvision cameras were used. “In particular, the DW cameras allowed us to have a 180-degree panorama of some specific areas and the HK cameras were extremely useful because Milestone recognizes the video analytics’ algorithms of crossing a perimeter line that run in the camera. A data network was implemented on Cat 6 UTP and HPE PoE 1920 switches. In terms of storage, we used the NAS QNAP brand with eight bays of 4TB each, implementing a RAID 5 for more protection and data writing speed. We were surprised how well Milestone worked on a Proxmox virtual machine,” says Gonzalez. Advantages and high satisfaction “ The implementation was a success in every sense, not only from the point of view of the service provided by the system, but also by the guidance, suggestions and labor that the company provided beyond the installation and configuration, in which all the required and additional goals were met,” concluded Benelli.

A move away from legacy analogue CCTV technology to IP video solutions will enable critical transport networks to effectively deter, detect and delay threats to ensure passenger safety. More than 85% of transport networks across Western Europe are planning to install IP cameras in the near future. That’s according to a recent survey commissioned by Axis Communications, the leading provider of network video and audio technology, in partnership with the global public transport organisation The Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP). Globally, the transport industry has led the way in using network video for both security and commercial applications. IP video surveillance is also increasingly playing a crucial role in the smooth and efficient running of significant parts of the UK’s rail network, highlighted by the successful deployment of network camera technology at Canary Wharf Station. This helped the station facilitate 24-hour rail operations and improve passenger safety. The shift to IP video surveillance is helping operators utilise real-time analytics to enhance decision making, ranging from common platform changes to the more infrequent critical scenarios such as a station clearance in response to a security threat or other emergency. For example, machine learning technology is helping turn vast transport surveillance infrastructures into live monitoring systems. This software identifies what is ‘normal’ activity within a scene, automatically creating an alert if ‘abnormal’ activity is recognized. However, despite this migration trend, the UK has struggled to keep pace with developments in such technologies. Although 97.3% of survey respondents said they had some degree of video surveillance installed, 66% cited either other priorities, funding difficulties, or no clear business case as the main barriers for not investing in more innovative IP technology. Interestingly, approximately 75% of those who responded no clear business case relied on outdated analogue technology to meet their surveillance needs. Lucas Young, Business Development Manager, Transportation, Axis Communications states, “These results are incredibly important. The perceived lack of a business case highlights that many transport operators are unaware of the security and efficiency benefits realtime video surveillance can offer. To respond to security events as and when they happen; a proactive rather than reactive approach is required. That just isn’t possible with legacy CCTV equipment. “When analysing security footage in real-time with advanced IP technology, operators are faced with hundreds of live feeds. This may seem daunting, but automated alerts can assist in managing the increased amount of data real-time video creates, helping to identify potential threats as they happen, preventing them from becoming security incidents. This is also freeing up staff time, so they can concentrate on improving the passenger experience.” Lucas Young continues, “While the benefits of connecting once offline technologies to a network creates an array of benefits for transport networks, it is also important to note that all devices connected to the internet are potentially vulnerable to cyber-attack. Cybersecurity is a huge issue for the transport industry and could prove a costly oversight if technology is not implemented correctly. We aim to protect our transport networks not only from physical threats, but also online ones.”  

Challenge With over 166 years’ experience of seaports, ships and ferries, City Lines offer comfortable and safe sea transportation services to tourists and those who live and work in Istanbul. Over 150,000 passengers use City Lines services every day. Having decided to offer a new ferry service between Istinye and Cubuklu, which are both part of the Istanbul conurbation but on different sides of the Bosphorus, City Lines asked security systems integrator InfoMET Technologies, to recommend video surveillance cameras which could help keep passengers and the ferries safe and secure. The cameras would be required to cope with sea conditions as well as capture high resolution images day or night. Solution 250 Wisenet cameras have been installed throughout 20 City Lines ships. In addition to keeping a close eye on passengers, the cameras are also used to monitor the movement of 2,000 vehicles which are transported daily and are a valuable navigational tool for captains, as they enable them to view blind spots which cannot be seen from the bridge. The majority of the 250 cameras installed are Wisenet QNO-7080Rs which are part of the Wisenet Q series. These 4 Megapixel bullet cameras have built-in IR illumination and are packed with innovative features such as H.265 compression and WiseStream, a complementary compression technology which dynamically controls encoding, balancing quality and compression, according to movement in the image. When WiseStream is combined with H.265 compression, bandwidth efficiency is improved by up to 75% compared to current H.264 technology. This ensures the Wisenet Q series is one of the most bandwidth friendly camera ranges available. The QNO-7080R also features Hallway View, True Wide Dynamic Range, Tamper Detection, Defocus Detection, and Lens Distortion Correction, to deliver optimized images in every situation. Hallway View provides a highly effective way to monitor narrow vertical areas such as corridors, tunnels and aisles. It enables cameras which can generate images in the 9:16 x 3:4 aspect ratio, to work effectively in tall and narrow spaces. Result “ One of the biggest factors in choosing Wisenet cameras is they do not have any problems in the environments we operate,” said Cuneyt Danaci, IT Specialist for City Lines, “Equally important, whilst we did not want to compromise on quality, we needed cameras which had a high price/ performance ratio. Wisenet came ahead of many other camera brands in respect of price, performance and technology and it is one of the reasons why we are thinking of working with Hanwha Techwin on other new projects in the future.” Partnership in trust is our success key “ We had worked with Hanwha Techwin on other projects and we were confident they would be able to provide cameras which would be able to deal with the demanding conditions such as salty water vapor and a high level of vibration,” said Oguzhan Kahraman, Project Engineer, InfoMET Technologies, “The pre-sales team for Hanwha Techwin in Turkey were extremely helpful and were able to recommend the best Wisenet camera models for each required camera location.”