Axis Communications, Bosch Security Systems and Sony Corporation announce that they will be cooperating to create an open forum aimed at developing a standard for the interface of network video products. Currently, there is no global standard defining how network video products such as cameras, video encoders and video management systems should communicate with each other. The new standard is expected to comprise interfaces for specifications such as video streaming, device discovery, intelligence metadata, etc. The framework of the standard, incorporating the key elements of network video product interoperability, will be released in October 2008 at the Security show in Essen, Germany.
The main goal of this new standard is to facilitate the integration of various brands of network video equipment and to help manufacturers, software developers and independent software vendors ensure product interoperability. A unified open standard will also offer end-users greater flexibility of choice, enabling them to select products from different vendors in order to develop systems that fully meet their needs. This standardization initiative demonstrates the strong commitment of Axis, Bosch and Sony to supporting the ongoing shift from analog to digital surveillance in the security market.
A forum set up by the said three companies will be open for all companies and interest groups who would like to participate in the standardization work. The forum will be established in the fourth quarter of 2008, and will work on further development of the standard and on reaching agreement on how the new technology should be implemented.
"We are very pleased to announce this cooperation between our companies," says Ray Mauritsson, President of Axis Communications. "An open standard will make it even easier for integrators and end-users to benefit from the many possibilities offered by IP-based video surveillance technology."
"This cooperation represents a great leap forward in establishing an international open forum focusing on network video surveillance," says Gert van Iperen, Executive Vice President at Bosch. "For manufacturers of network video hardware and software, the forum and its standard will be an efficient way to ensure product interoperability."
"We entered this discussion based on our common belief that an open standard will provide great benefits for users and everyone involved in the security industry," says Yoshinori Onoue, SVP, Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation. "Representatives from Axis, Bosch and Sony are now working intensively to develop a framework for the standard and to establish the guidelines for the standardization forum."
See the entire press release here.
Commentary:
This is a good step for the IP industry as a whole. Standardization makes for a more complete set of tools to further mature the IP Video Surveillance marketplace. However there is no mention on how long it might take to develop this standard and currently most IP Video software or NVR software from major manufacturers only operate with the firmware on loaded their specific cameras. The solution is and will continue to be NVR Software by Milestone Systems. Milestone already inter operates with over 40+ different brands of cameras and over 400+ different physical cameras from Axis, Bosch, Sony, Toshiba, IQeye, Panasonic, and many many more. So while the standardization legitimizes the marketplace it really does not affect the current product landscape for NVR software.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Axis, Bosch and Sony cooperate to standardize the interface of network video products
Friday, May 02, 2008
To PTZ or Not to PTZ
I have been speaking to many many clients lately about IP video surveillance and each time we go through the pros and cons of using traditional Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) cameras vs the latest multi-megapixel IP cameras and in most cases we end up deciding that the multi-megapixel cameras are the way to go. So I have decided to share these ideas and see what others thoughts are on the matter.
So PTZ. What is it? PTZ or pan tilt zoom cameras have been around for years in the analog world of CCTV and have made the obvious transition to IP Video security as well. These cameras are normally enclosed in a dome and have a VGA quality sensor that sits on a multi-axis thimble so that the user/operator can move the camera up down, side to side and zoom in on a subject to get a closer look at what is happening in a specific location. That should be pretty self explanatory but if you would like to see a PTZ camera I have included a pic for you.
As in other parts of life there are always advancements that are not necessarily meant to contend with previous methods of doing something but after they are developed they do and in my opinion multi-megapixel IP cameras are one of these advancements. Multi-megapixel IP video cameras allow you to see double, triple, even quadruple the amount of pixels as a standard "high-resolution" VGA camera. What this means in plain English is that you can see more of a particular view and in greater detail. If that still doesn't make sense read on, there is a good picture below.
OK, so what right? That is great you say but what does that have to do with contending with traditional PTZ cameras? Well here is how I see it.
PTZ cameras are used because an operator wants to see activity in different locations around his or her property. Well, a standard high-resolution VGA camera has a limited 640x480 field of view so it needs to be moved around to see the "BIGGER PICTURE". Ok well what happens when you move the camera from area A to see what is happening in area B? Area A is now vulnerable. So why not use 2 fixed cameras one focused on Area A and one on Area B? Well this is a great idea but quickly becomes expensive since you then need to monitor two cameras, you have to buy an extra camera license and of course you need to buy another camera!
So a good solution is to get one camera that has enough resolution or sees a big enough picture to monitor both area A, area B and everything in between all at the same time. This is precisely what multi-megapixel cameras allow you to do. IQeye has a series of cameras that reach up to 5 megapixels, which translates into 2560 x 1920 pixels. That is 16 times the resolution of a high-resolution VGA camera which means the field of view is 16 times as large and therefore the operator can view the "BIGGER PICTURE" without leaving certain parts of the property vulnerable to attack, theft, etc... The nice thing about having all those pixels is that you can then digitally zoom in after the fact and get a closer look without the image becoming overly "blocky" or pixilated. Milestone Systems Xprotect and other NVR packages have this feature already built in.
As promised a picture to try an explain all this. I'm a visual person too so here is a picture I made to try and explain this a bit better...
I took a picture of a standard University courtyard, that I found on google images, with the proper aspect ratio and scaled it down properly so that I can easily demonstrate my point. The green border represents a 5 Megapixel image (2560x1920) and the red rectangles represent standard high-resolution VGA cameras. You can see that exactly 16 red boxes fit inside the one green one, which means that the single 5MP camera can take the place of 16 standard cameras or a PTZ that is constantly patrolling but without missing a thing!
In this day of University tragedies can you imagine if a crucial piece of evidence is missed because the crime happened in area A on the left but the camera operator was focused on area B to the right? I say why not see it all?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Milestone Systems - IP Video Surveillance Done Right (& we are certified)
WLANmall is now a certified Milestone Open IP Video Surveillance partner. That means that we have the ability to listen to your needs, design and solution and build it for you from A to Z. All you will have to do is have a certified electrician run the cable and install your cameras. We will build the server platform, install the software and bench test the system before it leaves our warehouse.
Milestone and WLANmall offers solutions for both small to medium businesses as well as large unlimited camera installations. Here are the different flavors:
Basis+ perfect for getting started
The Basis+ license is for smaller or trial deployments that will be limited to a single server up to 25 cameras. Features include:
- Support for up to 25 cameras or video servers
- Live view speed at 30+ FPS per device
- Support for MegaPixel IP Video Cameras
- Built In Video Motion Detection
- Daily Archiving to Local Storage
- Recordings up to 40GB per device per day
- Intelligent PTZ control
- Support for 1 Remote Client accessing recordings
- Smart Client and Web Client
- Motion/sequence search and Export to AVI/JPEG/WAV
Professional is still a single server license but builds on the Basis+ package and adds features that you would need/want in a production environment. Features such as:
- Archiving to a network drive, SAN or NAS
- Simultaneous live view and playback
- PTZ Patrolling and Scanning
- Virtual Matrix
- Support for 5 simultaneous remote clients
- PDA or Mobile client for Windows enabled devices
- Region Search during playback (find what happened in a certain portion of the screen)
- Ability to export, password protect and encrypt multiple camera recordings at once.
- Ability to include a standalone player in the export so that the authorities can have full video control when viewing your recordings back at the station
The Enterprise license is a unique because the the base server recording license can actually be deployed on an UNLIMITED number of servers without having to relicense! All you pay after deploying the server is for the camera licenses. This allows you to record and monitor an unlimited number of cameras in an unlimited number of locations all from one or more locations. New features in Enterprise include:
- All the features included in Professional
- Multi-Server, Multi-location License
- Unlimited camera/device support
- Hourly Archiving for a total of 960 GB of recordings per device per day
- Support for an Unlimited number of Remote Clients
Corporate has all the same features as Enterprise but with a greater focus on central management. It was created for extremely large deployments where control of the network starts to become difficult. Corporate enables a single user from a single location manage an unlimited number of recording servers, cameras and devices all from one location. Built on Microsoft's robust SQL Server it is developed from the ground up for performance and reliability.
A surveillance system can pay for itself in ONE incident. Do not wait any longer and call us today for a custom design and quote.
310-416-1200 or ronen@conticomp.com
Easy Buy SMB Video Bundles
4 Camera Milestone Xprotect Basis+ Bundle
4 Camera Wireless Megapixel Xprotect Basis+ Bundle!
6 Camera Milestone Xprotect Basis+ Bundle
9 Camera Milestone Xprotect Basis+ Bundle w/ PTZ!
Enterprise WiFi Functionality at an SMB Price!
Enterprise functionality, SMB Price
- BeamFlex High gain (7 dbi) Antenna array
- Dynamic PSK Integrated, easy 802.1X
- Integrated guest access with captive portal
Who should be using Ruckus ZoneFlex??
Anyone who is looking for easy, secure, reliable wi-fi and that doesn't have big money to spend IT staff and hardware really... but, there are great advantages to those in the following industries:
- Small to Medium Businesses
- Hotels/Motels/Resorts with limited IT Staff
- Restaurants/Coffee Shops
- Hot spot Operators
- Retail stores and distribution facilities
Today network security is one of the most talked about topics in the IT world. Well as most of you know the Wi-Fi security has been lacking but in the past couple of years great strides have been made with the introduction of WPA2 and 802.1X authentication. WPA2 is an encryption key that is placed on every one of your employees/clients machines that allows them access to your wireless LAN (WLAN). Well what happens when Joe decides to leave or you have to let Bobby go for poor performance? You will have to change your WPA2 key for the entire company and change it on every machine. This can take many precious hours that you limited IT people may not have. Well there is a solution.
802.1X was created for this particular reason. 802.1X essentially gives each one of your employees/clients a unique key. So when Bobby leaves you can simply delete his user profile and maintain the security of your wireless network. Traditionally this required a Radius server which is extremely expensive to set up and maintain and the cost was simply not justifiable.
Dynamic PSK
Well, Ruckus created what they have coined Dynamic PSK.Dynamic Pre-Shared Key (PSK) is a patentpending technology developed to provide robust and secure wireless access while eliminating the arduous task of manual configuration of end devices and the tedious management of encryption keys.
Dynamic PSK creates a unique 63-byte encryption key for each user upon accessing the wireless LAN for the first time and then automatically configures end devices with the requisite wireless settings (i.e. SSID and unique passphrase) without any manual intervention. Here's how it works:
Now when Joe decides to leave or you have to let Bobby go for poor performance you can simply delete their username and they no longer have access to your network! Its as simple as that. You can also integrate it with your windows active directory!
If you have any other questions feel free to give us a call anytime. Also call us with your applications and we will design and create a solution for you!
Click here for more info and pricing on Ruckus Solutions or CALL TODAY FOR A CUSTOM DESIGN! 310-416-1200
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Who needs line of site? WIFI+ leading edge NLOS Antennas
The world' s first MULTI-POLARIZED - MULTI-PATH Antenna with GEO-Spatial capture. This antenna is made for the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) use. This Antenna will pick up signals on ALL Polarizations. Mutli-Polarized means enhanced signal-to-noise performance. WiFi-Plus offers an antenna that will give you better data transfer with less packets dropped.
A radio wave travels through the air about the size of a pine needle. If the antenna is vertically polarized the pine needle must remain vertical, as sent. If the signal hits an obstruction the signal will flip or rotate into multiple positions as it gets to the receiving radio and be seen as noise. If you can capture that signal you have a superior antenna that is not prone to the obstructed world.
Friday, October 06, 2006
TDMoIP - The savings of VOIP without the cost
TDM over IP (TDMoIP) is the emulation of time-division multiplexing (TDM) over a packet switched network (PSN). What does this mean in english? Well this basically means that TDM circuits such as T1, E1, T3 or E3 will be coded into IP in order to send those packets over a regular IP, MPLS or Ethernet network. This is ideal for Government, Education or enterprise clients who have a PBX or broadcast radio in multiple locations that need to be connected. TDMoIP is ideal for these situations because it eliminates the need for the costly recurring local loop fees. When combining wireless with TDMoIP you realize even greater savings becuase there is no need to trench and lay down new fiber to connect the locations via IP. With wireless bridges TDM circuits can be connected campus wide in days even hours, not months!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
What is a Wireless Bridge Anyways? A Simple Guide to the Basics
An easy to understand illustrated guide to the basic principles of wireless bridging and what you need to get up and running. Find out what your buddies mean when they say they are saving money or sharing internet access by using point to point or point to multipoint wireless bridging between two or more locations. Its easy, just take a look!
read more | digg story
