Here, where present meets the past, as the objects represent Icelandic cultural heritage from the nation’s earliest settlement through to the modern day, it became clear that the surveillance system needed to undergo an update so that the degree of security was up to comparable standards.
Surveillance and counting system in one
"Our old system was simply not up to the task. It was analogue and controlled with a Video Management Software that was more than a decade old", says Haukur Sævar Bessason, Supervisor of Buildings and Security at the National Museum of Iceland. He explains that besides aiming for an upgrade of the surveillance function, the National Museum of Iceland was also on the look-out for a new solution that integrated a counting system – in order to track the number of visitors at the museum and gauge the popularity of different exhibitions, among other thing. Another important criterion was to avoid any “hidden” costs not immediately apparent from the purchase costs of the cameras alone, such as license fees.
"The MOBOTIX system could replace our old counting system and upgrade our surveillance system in one go. We had seen the MOBOTIX solution in use at other locations in Iceland and the proven durability, high quality images and easy management of the cameras – along with the fact that there are no license fees – were the crucial factors for us", says Haukur Sævar Bessason and continues: "The system is mainly used for security purposes, but there are Q24 cameras that are counting as well as recording".
Computing power
Additional advantages of the MOBOTIX concept include the fact that because everything is processed by the individual camera, high-resolution images do not have to be constantly transferred for analysis. Unlike other systems, with the decentralised MOBOTIX concept, a high-speed computer is actually built into every camera. Moreover, if necessary, digital long-term memory in the shape of a micro SD card can be installed into every camera, thus providing several days of recording time.
Aesthetics gets the "stamp of approval"
Apart from powerful and flexible hardware on the inside of the cameras, part of the motivation for choosing MOBOTIX cameras was that the surveillance system should limit the visual impact and be as discrete as possible. The National Museum is a treasured building in itself, and monitoring outside of the building should be as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
"With the sensor technology of the MOBOTIX cameras and their ability to detect motion in the dark, this solution will provide a strong foundation for securing a treasured building", explains Haukur Sævar Bessason.
Straightforward installation
The setup process went through different phases, as the museum first installed MOBOTIX cameras in a warehouse in a separate location in the suburbs of the greater Reykjavik area, where archeologists process their findings. Here, the cameras were installed externally only, protecting against vandalisation such as graffiti paintings on the outside walls of the building.
The next step was to secure the office building next to the actual museum. Later, in 2012, the museum itself received the security overhaul, and more cameras will be installed in the future.
Today, the MOBOTIX camera installation at The National Museum of Iceland includes D12D, D14D, Q24 and M24 camera models. Video material is stored on a Windows 2008 R2 server.
"As it only requires CAT5 cables to transfer data from the cameras and supply them with power, it has been a straightforward task to get the new surveillance system up and running throughout the phases of the project", concludes Haukur Sævar Bessason.
