American Institute of Business installs Genetec’s Omnicast video surveillance system to secure its campus

Omnicast is a cost-effective solution and has an user-friendly interface

Genetec, a pioneer in the physical security industry and provider of world-class IP security solutions, announced that the American Institute of Business (AIB) in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, has installed the state-of-the-art Omnicast video surveillance system to secure the 20-acre campus.

AIB, founded in 1921 and the educational home of 900 undergraduate students, found itself in need of a new security solution when one component of the existing system failed. Josh Glover, CIO at AIB, already knew Genetec's technology was reputable, and felt that Omnicast was a cost-effective solution. He enlisted Convergint Technologies, a Genetec Certified Integrator specialising in electronic security, to help design and deploy an Omnicast installation to secure the campus' 12 buildings.

The completed system operates 32 fixed cameras including models from Axis Communications and Pelco, which provide full coverage of doorways, parking lots, dormitories and outlying buildings, as well as any location involved in the exchange of currency (e.g., cash registers). For AIB, one of the most enticing features of the Genetec platform was its ability to incorporate hardware from numerous other vendors, allowing the institution to make use of its existing, varied arsenal of analogue (and a few PoE) cameras. The analogue cameras are coupled with AXIS 240Q Video Encoders from Axis Communications. This allowed AIB to digitise existing analogue streams to create a hybrid migration path to IP and reap some of the benefits of network video, including motion detection, tampering alarms, I/O connection and intelligent video search.

The Omnicast system was also integrated with Aiphone intercoms to allow building occupants to view and communicate with a potential visitor before permitting access. The system is run on a virtual server composed of 48 HP Blade server BL460s which provide 30 terabytes of storage; two terabytes of storage are specifically dedicated for video surveillance, enabling video archives to be stored for over a month.

The installation of the Omnicast system went so smoothly allowing AIB's IT personnel to complete the integration on their own. The user-friendly Omnicast interface enabled AIB's round-the-clock security staff to quickly and easily transition to the new platform. From the central security room, the staff can monitor every corner of the campus in real-time and respond to break-in or prowler incidents instantaneously; they also are able to use their extensive archives for fact reviewing or to share with law enforcement if necessary.

"Since installing Omnicast six months ago, our uptime has been much higher than before. Plus, the system hasn't required much maintenance at all, and data retrieval is a snap - it's just plain simple to use," said Mr. Glover. "More and more establishments are looking to install IT-oriented systems, and higher learning establishments like ours are especially well-suited to this type of system because of the software's flexibility," remarked Mr. Glover. "We have been very pleased with our decision, and I would certainly recommend Omnicast to others in my position."