Video surveillance HD manufacturer artec technologies secures Main Tower in Germany

artec technologies keeps Frankfurt's main tower safe

In this article, artec technologies AG, manufacturer of High Definition video surveillance systems, provides information about its data-protection compliant video surveillance at the well-known MAIN TOWER in the "Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen" in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Not only because of its striking architecture has the MAIN TOWER become a landmark in the city. Its observation deck in the 56th floor is also a major tourist attraction for both foreign and domestic visitors, and each year an average of more than 300,000 people visit the platform. This is in addition to the numerous customers and employees of the companies resident in the high-rise building who pass through the tower's foyer every day.

The corresponding need to guarantee personal data privacy places unusual demands on the video surveillance used to secure the access and check-out areas of the observation platform. For this purpose, the security service contractor "SECURITAS Financial" decided on a solution utilizing artec technologies AG's MULTIEYE®-NET video surveillance software with the expansion module "PrivacyShield."

Before undergoing a security check, visitors to the MAIN TOWER'S observation platform pass through the electronic video surveillance installed in the access and check-out areas.

With video technology installed last September 1st, 2010, the cash-handling process in the check-out area is monitored to enable a quick response to emergency situations (e.g. robbery) and to document any relevant course of events (e.g. a subsequent manhunt).

It is essential to respect the personal rights of the cash-point employees and the SECURITAS Financial security personnel, as well as those of the entering and passing visitors. As a result, surveillance of this semi-public area is difficult from a data privacy perspective.

To provide surveillance which is compliant with such data-protection needs, a MULTIEYE® system equipped with the "PrivacyShield" software module has been deployed.

Through special filters in this MULTIEYE® PrivacyShield module, the images of persons moving in and out of the area monitored by the video cameras are blurred in the system's live and remote monitors. Motion, however, remains exacty recorded by way of optimised algorithms.

The video recording itself occurs without filtering (i.e. is sharp), so that in case of later need, identities can be

"The experiences which our employees and those of the "Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen" have made are all positive"

determined. Access to the recorded videos, however, is protected by numerous user-authorization requirements as well as the "four-eyes" principle. In addition, MULTIEYE® video recorders provide protection against unauthorized access to the data harddrives through lockable front panels.

"The experiences which our employees and those of the "Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen" have made are all positive," according to the summary provided by Joachim Hild, operational manager of the SECURITAS Financial Security and Service. "Acceptance of the deployment of video surveillance in an area of highly sensitive personal rights-to-privacy has greatly improved through the use of PrivacyShield."

"The demands placed by data protection on video surveillance systems are quite varied. MULTIEYE® PrivacyShield's hardware and software restrictions on access to the data storage as well as our partners' project support from the very beginning have enabled artec technologies AG to provide a comprehensive product and service package. This enables the operation of our video surveillance systems efficiently and yet in full compliance with such demands," according to Jens Ringlstetter, VP of Sales and Marketing at artec technologies AG.