Safety & Security
In today's society, security cameras are becoming a familiar sight, and video
surveillance is playing an increasingly prominent role in safeguarding the interests of
businesses and the public.
However, while relied upon heavily, conventional CCTV, and even more recent DRV (Digital
Video Recorder) systems have a number of drawbacks. Requiring specialist equipment, they
can prove expensive to maintain, are difficult to install and upgrade, and often require
the constant attention of human operators in order to work effectively. This makes them
impractical for small businesses and inadequate for those requiring a high level of
security.
Imagine a system that could enable you to catch a thief in the act rather than just provide
recorded footage of the incident after important information has been stolen. A system that
could protect your facility in real–time, alerting you to any irregular activity
without the need for human operators to constantly monitor live video feeds.
Advances in digital technology have given rise to a new generation of sophisticated,
flexible and cost–effective video surveillance systems, designed to overcome the
limitations of their predecessors, and take full advantage of the latest broadband and
wireless techniques.
IP Surveillance applications allow users to transmit, store and manage live digital video
streams via any wired or wireless IP network, and as the first fully digital surveillance
systems, they offer a host of advantages over their rivals.
The benefits of IP Surveillance and network cameras
Today, more companies and organisations than ever are adopting IP Surveillance applications
in preference to both DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and conventional CCTV systems, and as
technology continues to advance, the benefits of using IP Surveillance are increasing.
Advantages of IP surveillance:
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Standards-Based Open Architecture
The Internet Protocol is a global standard, and as such offers an extremely high level of
flexibility. IP Surveillance systems are compatible with most proven, low–cost,
industry–standard equipment, as well as LAN, internet, and wireless network
technologies. Their open architecture also allows for easy and effective integration of
access control, process control, heating and ventilation systems, and other additional
applications.
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Functionality and Security
"Intelligent" network cameras offer a range of advanced, automated services,
including motion detection, sensory inputs and relay input/output, which enable them to
make decisions based on certain triggered events (such as facial or licence plate
recognition). This "event–controlled recording" means that – in
contrast to other video monitoring applications – IP Surveillance systems can detect
irregularities without the need for human supervision.
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Scalability and Ease of Use
IP Surveillance systems can be up and running within 20 minutes and the
"plug–and–play" nature of network cameras means that they can be
added to a network as easily as PCs. In contrast, cameras can only be added to DVR
systems in increments of 8, 16 or 24. IP Surveillance systems require no specialist
hardware (such as the additional cabling required for CCTV), and, as they work with
industry–standard equipment, user interfaces are extremely intuitive, requiring
little or no training to operate.
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Video Quality and Size
Network video resolutions have steadily increased over the past few years, and
improvements in signal processing techniques, image enhancement algorithms and image
sensors and lenses mean that surveillance network cameras now equal, and often surpass,
their analogue counterparts in terms of image quality. Furthermore, images can be
digitised and compressed by network cameras for faster transfer across any IP network,
enabling easy and efficient off–site storage and backup.
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Accessibility
Any live or recorded video feed can be securely accessed and controlled using a standard
web browser, either through a local area network, or from any location in the world via
the Internet.
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Reliability
The ability to transfer data over any IP network enables easy and efficient off–site
storage and backup, and as IP Surveillance systems use standards–based equipment,
replacement times for faulty hardware are significantly shorter than those for proprietary
DVR and CCTV solutions. Furthermore, network cameras come with advanced management
software that provides real–time system health information.
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Cost
Network cameras are compatible with open–standards wiring which is cheaper
(and more readily available) than the specialist cabling required for CCTV. IP
Surveillance systems are also compatible with a vast range of other low–cost,
open–standards equipment. Analogue CCTV systems are significantly more expensive:
requiring complex and time–consuming installation, maintenance and upgrade
procedures, and human operators to constantly monitor live video feeds for irregular
activity.
Crosby offers a comprehensive range of cutting–edge IP surveillance solutions.
Whatever your business or personal needs, our expertise means that by assessing your
situation, we can provide a security system that conforms exactly to your requirements.
We can supply an integrated IP Surveillance solution with any new or existing computer
network, and our experienced engineers are available on–call to provide you with the
level of support you need.
Interested? Contact us today to
find out more.
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