Technology & Trends - CCTV cameras

End users should consider the cost of anentire surveillance system rather than the cost of a single megapixel camera There is a misconception in the security industry that megapixel cameras are more expensive than conventional surveillance cameras. However, to understand real value, it's important to focus not on the price of a single camera but on the overall surveillance system cost. Looking at the cost holistically and contrasting it with the benefits will clearly demonstra...

As per DHS, Tier 1 facilities will go through a preliminary round of site inspections called pre-authorisation inspections (PAI) In October 2006, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007 became law in the US. Section 550 of the Act ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “...issue interim final regulations establishing risk-based performance standards for security of chemical facilities and requiring security vulnerability assessments a...

The choice of the right security technology is one of the primary considerations for implementation or upgrade of a video surveillance system or other security system. Industry professionals making this critical decision often have to choose between a ‘bleeding edge’ technology, i.e. one that is in its infancy but offers great potential, and a leading edge proven technology. In this article, Stephen Malia - Vice President of Engineering Services and Marketing at North A...

An integrated security system needs to fulfil user's security objectives and needs To meet a user’s specific needs, a truly integrated security solution must include video surveillance and other security systems on a single platform. Although this is a high criteria for any system designer to meet, it is now becoming increasingly possible. Integration solutions require a commitment and expertise on the part of systems integrators as well as security product manufacturers...

Ambient lighting in hospitality environments pose major challenges for video surveillance Variable lighting conditions pose a persistent challenge in video surveillance applications such as large retail locations, banks and financial institutions, and hospitality environments.Challenges to lighting quality Typically, retail locations, banks and hospitality venues include an abundance of windows. The resulting excessive light can damage video image quality, by flooding the ima...

New Norbain paying "compensation" to a select number of creditors Following the Administration and pre-pack sale of Norbain, it is now apparent that the new company (also called “Norbain”) has been paying “compensation” to some suppliers for the debts owed by the old company.  However, it is cherry picking which suppliers it chooses to compensate – some have received a significant proportion of their debt with old Norbain, while others have...

The lights are turned out at Norbain - momentarily The mysterious demise of UK distributor NorbainOn Monday 2 July Norbain issued a cryptic press release.  Apparently, “the UK business and assets of Norbain” – the largest distributor in the UK – have been sold to Newbury Investments (UK) Limited by “the Administrators, KPMG”.  Norbain In Administration – this is news to the security industry! Administrators are typically ap...

The changes to the economic climate over the past few years have affected the construction industry as a whole, and the booming casino industry was naturally affected as well. While there are still new casinos being built, overall the scale of construction does not approach the mega-casinos that have dominated the industry for the previous twenty years. Many of the new builds today are smaller casinos with different budgets and requirements of past projects. In addition, existing c...

Innovative surveillance technology, relaxation in UK Data Protection Laws and shared resources are key to curb rural crimes The significant rise in crime in rural areas in recent times in the UK has led to growing calls from security and crime prevention experts for government to make it easier for communities and law enforcement to fight back. “In our areas, every farm within a 5 mile radius has had trespass, some kind of theft of property, plant or livestock in the las...

Networking is a powerful way to effectively converge and integrate security In an ever-changing world, business organisations require efficient security partners in order to focus their expansion towards growing economies. This physical expansion leads to a need for expanded and enhanced security programs to protect a growing network of people and facilities. In this article, Renae Leary, Senior Director, Global Accounts, at ADT Worldwide, provides an insight into cost-effecti...

The intertwining of security and IT is requiring consultants to redefine their role Security consultants have traditionally operated inconspicuously while providing quality, independent advice to customers around their security requirements. However, the relentless intertwining of IT and security in the form of IP technology has required consultants to adapt, and consequently redefine their role within the space. In this article Daniel Wan, Channel Marketing Leader UK at Honey...

   Network-enabled "intelligent" security components increasingly have better computational and memory capacity The use of Internet Protocol (IP), or networking, is commonly associated with convergence. In this article, Markus Lahtinen of Lund University's LUSAX project, contends that the shift to network-enabled "intelligent" security components which increasingly have better computational and memory capacity has a significant impact on the present and future dy...

 The outlook of the access control is bright despite economic downturn Belying the tough economic environment in which it is operating globally, the security industry is apparently ‘weathering the storm' quite well. Despite some expected adverse impact of the economic downturn, overall the security industry has been relatively immune and resilient compared to some other sectors. This could well be because of the growth in unemployment and higher crime rates necessi...

  Acquiring a true open platform surveillance software requires an informed decision Research reports pertaining to the IP video surveillance market repeatedly talk up the trend of "Open Platform". Keeping with that trend, it seems that every manufacturer is claiming its offerings to be IP-based and Open Platform. In the security industry these days, it has become almost embarrassing for a company to admit having a proprietary (single vendor) solution - there seems to be a...

  No more confusion: high definition and megapixel resolution explained  The growing popularity of IP-based video systems in the video surveillance market provides the ability to capture high-resolution images through megapixel video. The use of HDTV standards in the consumer video market is becoming more prevalent. The images produced by this new generation of surveillance cameras are often collectively referred to as high-definition (HD) or as megapixel images. Sin...

 Selecting the optimum power supply for a system is critical to an installation  When it comes to selecting power supplies, knowledge is power. Determining the power requirements of every systems product, taking into account their integration with one another is critical to ensure that you are selecting and installing the power solutions most appropriate for your installation. Such information will enable you to select the power supplies that will be required to keep your security sys...

 Dealing with rising airport security threats  demand more innovative solutions   With the rise in large security threats since the commencement of this century, security of airports has become paramount. Looking into this issue Ashley Smith, BSIA (British Security industry Association) Civil Aviation Security Section Chairman, explains how a mix of properly interfaced security systems working in conjunction with monitoring and response staff offers a cost...

 Migrating from analogue to HD surveillance solutions  Globally, the video surveillance market has been slow to move beyond its analogue origins. Many analogue technologies or first generation network video management systems installed in the last decade are now aging, becoming less reliable and unable to deliver the quality and coverage most security professionals demand. Increasing video quality using these older solutions requires an unmanageably large number of...

Understanding the complexities of the transform matrix In the concluding part of this 3-part review of the H.264 video compression standard, Kate Huber, Peter de Konink and Piet Nieuwets of Siqura discuss the transform, quantisation and entropy encoding - various block-encoding steps following motion estimation. Describing data in the transform matrix In contrast to the motion estimation step, the transform phase in the encoding process is relatively similar in H.2...

Video analytics enables security teams to take action as soon as incidents occur  Video analytics can boost security efforts by automatically alerting personnel to take action when a security event occurs. Intelligent sensors never tire, can cover large distances and “see” what the eye would miss, even in absolute darkness. Based on such intelligent analytics, people can make smart decisions when actual violations happen. John Romanowich, CEO of SightLogix believes...

  Migration to IP-based systems is a necessary way to future-proof an organisation To say that IP security offers myriad benefits will merely be stating the obvious. The value proposition of IP is strong, as can be seen from its growing adoption. However, navigating the road to IP requires careful consideration of many factors, from network infrastructure to physical security needs. Jeremy Kimber of Honeywell analyses the true benefits of IP and provides some insights on c...

Video surveillance systems can be used in a variety of ways within the mining industry The development of specialised, integrated video security systems for specific environments has vastly increased the benefits they deliver to users. However, the mining industry has considerable scope for exploiting the more sophisticated functions provided by integrated systems with data mining techniques which have added significant value in other business environments. In this article Jan de Be...

  Migrate to a better system by adopting an all-IP video surveillance solution With declining prices for IP cameras and advancements in video compression technology such as the latest H.264 compression standard, IP video surveillance is increasingly becoming the preferred security solution. The convergence of voice, video and data in the world of surveillance has truly  arrived, a fact amply highlighted by the projected growth of the network video market to over $2.6...

Image quality of objects in motion is greater with H.264 technology In the first part of this three part series, the authors described the H.264 video compression standard including its history. In part two, the authors discuss motion estimation, the phase during which H.264 really distinguishes itself from other MPEG standards. Differentiating from other MPEG standards: Adapting raster block sizes for more detailed images H.264 distinguishes itself from the other MPEG s...

  Taking time to evaluate some do's and don'ts before buying an IP network camera IP network-based surveillance cameras offer enticing possibilities. However, you need to evaluate several factors before deciding on the type of IP camera installation you'd like to go for.  For example, do you want full or partial IP? How much bandwidth? Simon Nash, Senior Marketing Manager at Sony Europe explains the entire process. Transition to IP surveillance Network cameras f...

 H.264 has become the compression standard of choice in the security industry The rising popularity of the H.264 video compression standard has established H.264 as ‘the buzzword' within the video surveillance industry. With all this talk of the possible enhancements brought to the fore by H.264, Kate Huber, Peter de konik and Piet Nieuwets of Optelecom-NKF present the true benefits and shortcomings of this popular standard in the first of a three-part review.H.264...

Environmental implications are important considerations in surveillance system designs Rising energy costs are compelling many organisations to optimise their computing environments. In fact, energy costs have quickly become the fastest growing operating cost, propelling many corporations to embark on new conservation and "green" initiatives. Marc Holtenhoff, CEO of Aimetis, explores ways to reduce energy consumption within video surveillance applications, that could pave the...

   Are we about to see the first truebreakthrough for video analytics? Daniel Wan, Channel Marketing Leader UK at Honeywell Security Group, assesses the development of video analytics from a perceived premium add-on to a cost-effective and key component in video surveillance and several other security applications. Its proven benefits in perimeter protection, increasing the efficiency of manned guarding services and the ROI it delivers, particularly in preventive...

  Bridging the gaps in wired infrastructure with wireless broadband Today, public and urban business organisations have sophisticated geographically dispersed infrastructures, which require centralised supervision and the deployment of global security and surveillance networks. As the necessity for public and personal safety increases, the market and demand for multisite surveillance solutions with rigorous, video-based security standards is growing. One of the most recent...

Thermal surveillance cameras have numerous security benefits All network cameras have a basic physical limitation: they need light to work. Phil Doyle, Regional Director, Northern Europe at Axis Communications examines the key benefits of thermal imaging cameras in surveillance.  Some network cameras have night and day vision capability that allows them to operate in very poor lighting conditions, down to fractions of a lux. And of course, if natural light is not availab...