Vidcom Solutions

Vidcom Solutions is newest Avigilon surveillance dealer

2011-12-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

Overview

Our award-winning Avigilon Control Center (ACC) software with High-Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology delivers full situation awareness and indisputable image detail, leading to faster response times, reduced investigation times, and superior overall protection. Plus, ACC is just as impressive on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch with the ACC Mobile application—perfect for security personnel in the field.

As a securely distributed network platform with enterprise-class reliability, Avigilon Control Center (ACC) effectively captures, manages and stores high-definition multi-megapixel surveillance video while efficiently managing bandwidth and storage. Avigilon Control Center can be pre-installed and configured on an Avigilon Network Video Recorder (NVR) or work as stand-alone software.

Avigilon Control Center records and manages both audio and video from Avigilon’s broad range-—the largest in the industry—of multi-megapixel IP cameras (from 1 to 29 megapixels). ACC can easily accommodate conventional and PTZ analog cameras, as well as both audio and video from a broad range of third-party IP cameras and encoders from other manufacturers. This gives you the ability to build a hybrid system that allows for a budget-conscious migration from analog to digital. ACC is powerful and intuitive, with an easy-to-use interface that allows personnel to evaluate and respond to events with minimal training.

HDSM Technology

Avigilon Control Center uses our proprietary HDSM technology, which efficiently compresses and preserves image quality while intelligently managing HD image transmission throughout the Avigilon system—sending only the requested portions of captured images to operator workstations. This technology delivers the best possible image quality while providing immediate savings in transmission bandwidth allowing operators to use less powerful workstations and thereby reducing costs. Our HDSM technology leverages leading imaging, hardware, data compression and information technology to maximize performance of the Avigilon system.

Avigilon Control Center Features

Multi-Megapixel High-Dynamic-Range Image Display

Analyze detailed regions from single or multiple cameras.
Use viewing tabs to allow single operators to switch between multiple cameras located throughout large enterprise systems.
Digitally zoom and pan within an image with a mouse or surveillance joystick. Automatic dynamic contrast enhancement reveals low-light details for unmatched digital PTZ performance.
View live or recorded high-definition surveillance footage.

Data Protection and Storage Management

Redundant recording to multiple NVRs allows a full live mirror of all high-definition video. Automatic fail-over NVRs ensure uninterrupted recording if an NVR becomes unavailable.
Integrated backup and restore functionality allows recorded HD video from multiple cameras to be securely transferred from an NVR on a defined schedule.
Allocate more storage capacity to recent events and taper archived surveillance footage for maximum record times with data aging.

Integrated Graphic Mapping for System Layout

Advanced graphic-mapping interface lets operators layout cameras and servers on an imported map for easy navigation of large surveillance systems.
Maps can be layered and nested, allowing easy navigation through satellite maps, multi-story buildings and very large areas.

HD Recording and Playback Timeline

Advanced timeline interface with unique integrated drag-to-zoom capability allows full control over high-definition surveillance video playback, in forward and reverse, at variable speeds-—up to 8 times faster than real time.
Rapidly updating playback system allows intuitive jog or shuttle playback to identify key events and subtle changes.

Bandwidth Management and Remote Viewing

Fine-tune camera bandwidth usage to optimize image quality and network bandwidth availability with HDSM.
Remotely connect to multiple recorders to view live and recorded surveillance footage over the local area network, over a low bandwidth wide area network connection.

Bookmark and Export HD Surveillance Footage

Securely bookmark and export movies or still images in industry-standard formats or in Avigilon loss-less format for third-party forensic work.
Exported video can be managed via the Avigilon Control Center Player—a powerful playback application with all the tools required for analyzing and reviewing captured HD surveillance footage.
Bookmarked events are indexed to allow rapid searching using user defined metadata.

Video Search

Unique sub-region thumbnail searching allows you to rapidly find small changes within HD surveillance, covering large areas.
Quickly and accurately navigate through large amounts of recorded high-definition video with camera-specific event logs.
Search through alarms, point-of-sale transactions, license plates and bookmarks.

Advanced Control Center Features

Alarm Monitoring

Allows the creation of complete end-to-end workflows for the monitoring, assignment, and acknowledgement of alarms.
Can be triggered by any internal system event, as well as external third-party access control and building management system triggers.

POS Transaction Engine

Link HD surveillance footage (viewed instantly) with transaction data to address compliance requirements and reduce shrinkage and theft.
Exception filtering and reporting allows the triggering of events when transactions match specified criteria.

Acquisition Manager

Ensures that all Avigilon cameras, regardless of resolution, are always configured to collect the best possible image over a wide range of lighting conditions.
Configure multiple independent camera-specific motion-detection zones for pre- or post-motion-triggered recording.

Simple Camera and Server Installation

Unique plug-and-play capabilities for NVRs and cameras automatically identify themselves on the network, without manual configuration or searching—eliminating complex network configuration.

Detailed Management, Monitoring, and Reporting of System Status and Security

Detailed logs of storage, network, and overall system status to ensure the highest possible system uptime for critical applications.
Powerful rules engine lets administrators and operators map any camera or system event to an action, such as triggering output alarm relays, for faster identification and improved response times.
Programmable email alerts provide rapid remote notification in the event of camera tampering, a system alert, an alarm or a motion event.

Scalable Integration with Legacy Systems

Distributed architecture features a .NET-based API that can easily be integrated with other systems, such as access control and building management.
Benefit from a new level of HD video surveillance while maintaining a single interface and minimizing training costs.

About VidCom | Michigan Security Camera CCTV IP Video Access Control Experts: Vidcom Solutions

2011-04-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

About VidCom Michigan Security Camera CCTV IP Video Access Control Experts: Vidcom Solutions: "VidCom Solutions services the State of Michigan and specifically the following locales. Genesee County Flint, Flushing, Durand, Swartz Creek, Owosso, Burton, Grand Blanc, Oxford, Clarkston, Goodrich, Fenton, Davison, Ortonville, Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Walker, Forest Hills, Cascade, Byron Center, Kentwood, Caledonia, Kentwood, Northview, Comstock, Hudsonville, Jenison, Holland, Grand Haven, Zeeland Lansing, Dewitt, East Lansing, Haslett, Holt, Okemos, Grand Ledge, St. Johns Livingston County, Brighton, Howell, Hartland, Pinckney, Whitmore Lake Macomb County, Clinton Township, St. Clair Shores, Mt. Clemens, Harrison Township, Sterling Heights, Roseville, Fraser, Shelby, Washington, Utica, Warren, Madison Heights Oakland County, Auburn Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Birmingham, West Bloomfield, Commerce Township, White Lake, Farmington Hills, Milford, Highland, Novi, Rochester, Royal Oak, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Southfield, South Lyon, Troy, Waterford, Drayton Plains, Walled Lake, Wixom. Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor Wayne County, Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Belleville, Canton, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Grosse Pointe, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Redford, Riverview, Trenton, Woodhaven, Brownstown, Southgate, Taylor, Wyandotte, Westland, Garden City, Wayne IP Video cctv security cameras access control

Press release: AXIS M31-VE | Axis Communications

2011-04-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Press release: AXIS M31-VE Axis Communications: "Axis introduces affordably priced, palm-sized network cameras for surveillance of outdoor areas Axis Communications, the market leader in network video1, today presents cost-effective network cameras in a discreet fixed dome design for monitoring outdoor entrance areas of stores, restaurants, hotels, banks and offices. AXIS M31-VE Network Cameras provide discreet surveillance of outdoor entrance areas. Designed for placement near building entrances, the palm-sized AXIS M31-VE Network Camera Series enables discreet surveillance for customers at an affordable price. “The AXIS M31-VE Series is ideal for cost-conscious business owners and managers who would like to have high-quality discreet surveillance of entrance areas,” says Erik Frännlid, Director of Product Management at Axis. The outdoor cameras can operate in temperatures from 50°C (122°F) down to -20°C (-4°F) and the impact-resistant casing comes with a weather shield for protection from sunlight, rain and snow. Models without the weather shield, which have a greater tilt range, are better suited for ceiling mounted installations such as in cold storage rooms or under porches. AXIS M31-VE cameras are easy to install and are powered using Power over Ethernet, which means that only one standard network cable is needed for carrying power and video. The cameras can also detect tampering attempts such as blocking or spray-painting. Having video surveillance at an outdoor entrance can help retailers, for example, to strengthen security and prevent losses. Another application is to use the cameras with intelligent applications such as people counting to monitor customers as they enter and leave the store."

Vidcom solutions

2010-08-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

VidCom Solutions provides security, surveillance cameras, CCTV, IP Video cameras, wireless alarm systems, access control,and data networking to the State of Michigan and specifically the following locales, Genesee County, Flint, Flushing, Durand, Swartz Creek, Owosso, Burton, Grand Blanc, Oxford, Clarkston, Goodrich, Fenton, Davison, Ortonville, Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Walker, Forest Hills, Cascade, Byron Center, Kentwood, Caledonia, Kentwood, Northview, Comstock, Hudsonville, Jenison, Holland, Grand Haven, Zeeland, Lansing, Dewitt, East Lansing, Haslett, Holt, Okemos, Grand Ledge, St. Johns, Livingston County, Brighton, Howell, Hartland, Pinckney, Whitmore Lake, Macomb County, Clinton Township, St. Clair Shores, Mt. Clemens, Harrison Township, Sterling Heights, Roseville, Fraser, Shelby, Washington, Utica, Warren, Madison Heights, Oakland County, Auburn Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Birmingham, West Bloomfield, Commerce Township, White Lake, Farmington Hills, Milford, Highland, Novi, Rochester, Royal Oak, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Southfield, South Lyon, Troy, Waterford, Drayton Plains, Walled Lake, Wixom, Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor, Wayne County, Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Belleville, Canton, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Grosse Pointe, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Redford, Riverview, Trenton, Woodhaven, Brownstown, Southgate, Taylor, Wyandotte, Westland, Garden City, Wayne

Metro Detroit security

2010-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

"Metro Detroit security cameras door control
Central CityDetroit†
(Hamtramck, Highland Park)
Suburbs
over 80,000Canton Township • Clinton Township • Dearborn • Farmington Hills • Livonia • Sterling Heights • Troy • Warren • Westland
Suburbs
50,000 - 80,000Dearborn Heights • Farmington Hills • Grosse Pointe • Macomb Township • Novi • Pontiac • Redford Township • Rochester Hills • Royal Oak • Saint Clair Shores • Shelby Township • Southfield • Taylor • Waterford Township • West Bloomfield Township
Satellite citiesAdrian • Ann Arbor • Brighton • Flint • Howell • Jackson • Lapeer • Monroe • Port Huron • Windsor
Counties in MSALapeer • Livingston • Macomb • Oakland • St. Clair • Wayne
Counties in CSA Genesee • Monroe • Washtenaw
Region Southeast Michigan
Outlying regionsCentral Michigan • Flint/Tri-Cities • Northwest Ohio • Southwestern Ontario"

RS2® Technologies, LLC. - News

2010-04-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

RS2® Technologies, LLC. - News: "RS2 Technologies, LLC, a leading provider of access control systems, has announced the publication of the fourth White Paper in its popular series. The most recent paper is entitled “Underutilization of Features in Access Control Systems.” Subtitled “Getting Your Money’s Worth When Specifying & Buying an Access Control System”, the paper covers topics such as:
• The definition of underutilization
• How to save money on “client licenses”
• Necessary and unnecessary door hardware
• The most commonly unused features in access control systems
• How keeping abreast of changing access control technology can save you money
• Leveraging your access control investment through integration
The White Paper has several diagrams and photos illustrating these topics, as well as a “List of Questions to Ask Access Control Manufacturers and Systems Integrators” that has become a hallmark of the RS2 White Paper series. Readers are encouraged to apply the questions and the paper’s conclusions about underutilization to their own evaluations of their current access control systems – or to systems that they are contemplating purchasing."

Products > SCC-C6455

2010-04-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Products > SCC-C6455: "The SCC-C6455 is one of the advanced PTZ cameras from this line featuring the industry high 43x Optical Zoom (up to 688x with Digital Zoom), 600TV Lines of Resolution, Wide Dynamic Range Function, Extended Dynamic Range function, Adaptive Digital Noise Reduction and Multi Language On Screen Display. Lowest energy consumption, and easy installation let the user save money. With pan and tilt movements enabled simultaneously, camera movements are performed at up to 600°/sec."

Samsung introduces 43X zoom PTZ

2010-04-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

test

2010-03-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

test

DVR versus NVR IP video

2010-01-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

The huge advantage of architecture based on NVRs is that they can be located anywhere on a network – at the monitoring center, adjacent to camera clusters, on the edge of a network, collected together in a hardened environment, indeed anywhere at all. In use their location is transparent to an operator – he or she simply calls up the recorded video stream to be viewed and, provided that they have the necessary authorization there it is. NVRs record and replay simultaneously, and recordings on any one machine can be remotely viewed by a number of authorized operators spread across the network simultaneously, all totally independently and without affecting each other.

The importance of the independence of physical location, well away from the cameras if necessary, should not be underestimated – IT Managers are notoriously zealous in safeguarding their network capacity and rightly so, but by calculating the data flow requirement across the network and strategically placing NVRs accordingly, the impact of video streaming on bandwidth usage can be minimized. Typically an NVR might be placed on a Local Area Network (LAN) and near (in network terms, not necessarily physically) a camera cluster so that the load is carried by the local LAN capable of absorbing it easily, thus saving capacity on other, perhaps more restricted, parts of the network. The IT Manager can specify what level of bandwidth he is prepared to make available for video streaming and this can be set as a cap, so that it is not exceeded under worst-case conditions when in operation.

Then, when a recording is required at any other point on the network (typically “at center”, but not necessarily so) it can be called up seamlessly by the operator, streamed down and then analyzed, viewed (not the same thing) and acted upon accordingly.

To assist in the calculation of data flow requirement and disk storage capacity requirement spreadsheetbased calculators are available enabling these numbers to be calculated on a camera-by-camera basis using such parameters as the scene type (busy street / internal corridor etc.), functionality of the camera (PTZ under continuous operator control / static for ID purposes etc.), picture resolution and update rate in frames-per-second requirement, and if motion-sensing is used the motion frequency and type.First came the camera and monitor, closely followed by the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), recording one video stream to a 3-hour tape at 25 frames per second and often triggered by an input device (raid button in a bank, for example). Technology then brought us the multiplexer, which allowed several streams of video to be recorded onto the same tape and separated out into discrete, viewable streams on replay and the time-lapse VCR which enabled the dropping of frames and in so doing permitted a 3-hour tape to be used over much longer periods, albeit at the cost of lost information.

The DVR
The rapid development of video compression algorithms (JPEG, MJPEG, MPEG-4, etc.), computer processing speeds and a rapid reduction in data storage costs then gave rise to the DVR. This you could consider as being the functionality of a multiplexer together with a computer disk for storage in place of tape, all housed in the same box together with some additional ports for connectivity.

The DVR provides a convenient, if limited, replacement for the multiplexer + VCR combination and provides non-linear access to recorded material usually selected by camera ID, time and date. The consistency of quality of recorded material will in general be higher than that obtained with analog tape although the actual quality achieved may or may not be better, depending on the compression algorithm and individual configuration.

In general more programmable options for individual video stream recording parameters, (picture resolution, number of frames per second, trigger options, start/stop times etc), are available, but a DVR is only useful where the analog cameras are all cabled back to the DVR’s location. Competent DVRs now feature UDP (CAT 5) network ports so that the device can be provided with an IP address and thereby become accessible over an Ethernet network.

Many limitations still apply, however, not the least of which being that if it fails you’ll have most probably lost all your recordings (or they may not even have been made in the first place). This is not true of NVRs which can be used in “mirror” mode – see below. On the subject of reliability if you are going to use a DVR make sure that the one you’re proposing incorporates an industrial grade hard disk drive (HDD) and not a domestic one, or failure might be a lot sooner than you think (most DVR failures arise from overworked and overheated hard drives) - ask the manufacturer which drives he uses.

Like most other things in this world the actual performance obtained from a DVR, its ease of use and reliability will depend upon the manufacturer, individual model selected and price paid.

And so to the NVR
The Network Video Recorder heralds the arrival of the next natural point in the development of recording technology.

It is important to differentiate between DVRs and NVRs, as both are often termed ‘digital’. A DVR digitally compresses analog video feeds and stores them on a hard-drive, the term ‘digital’ referring to the compression and storage technology, not the transmitted video images. The DVR therefore has to be located near the analog feeds. In contrast an NVR stores digital images directly from the IPnetwork.

Therefore the most obvious difference between the DVR and NVR is that whereas the DVR records from analog streams provided from analog cameras the NVR records video streams that have already been encoded at the cameras. Thus you find no video connectors anywhere on a NVR; it’s input and output is IP data comprising compressed and encoded video. This will typically be in MPEG-4 format which has enjoyed widespread adoption in the CCTV industry as the current compression technology of choice, due largely to its efficiency.

NVR in a box!

The typical NVR solution simply requires a PC platform and hard disk storage. However, for more demanding fault tolerant applications NVRs can be packaged in stand-alone units. For example IndigoVision’s range of NVRs includes ‘NVR1.5’ which is a selfcontained rack mounted, Linux based, unit that has a removable hard disk drive. Any number of disks can be swapped out providing increased storage capacity. Typically a single disk will store 4 months of continuous full frame-rate high quality digital video. In addition disks can be moved between any NVR1.5 on the network allowing for example, remote recording with archiving and playback at a central location. It has built-in redundant power supplies and network connections and recordings can be mirrored to multiple NVRs around the network

Burglar alarm panels gain certification

2010-01-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

DMP XT Panels Earn UL Listing

XT Panels, 263G Cellular module, and 7360/7363 Icon Series Keypads Now Listed

Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) has received authorization from Underwriters Laboratories to apply the UL mark to the XT Series TM Burglary/Fire/Door Access Control Panels, the Model 263G Digital Cellular Communicator, and the 7360/7363 Icon Series Keypads. The new UL listings will be in addition to the existing ETL listings.

“Adding the UL mark demonstrates that these products have been thoroughly tested and proven safe for their designated applications,” said Vice President of Sales, Mark NeSmith. “Dealers know that our designed- and built-in-America technology provides long, reliable life. Testing by independent, third-parties like ETL and Underwriters Laboratories gives our dealers added confidence in the safety of every UL-marked DMP product.”

The XT30/XT50 Panels offer all-in-one, all onboard communications with Network and Cellular capabilities in addition to dial-up, plus built-in wireless capability. The 263G Digital Cellular Communicator can be built-in to an XT Series panel or plugged in as an expansion card to add GSM/GPRS communications. The 7360/7363 Icon Series Keypads display both intuitive symbols and messages to speed and simplify end-user system operation.

The ANSI/UL standards achieved for these three products include:
ANSI/UL1610 Central Station Burglar Alarm System (DACT – Digital Dialer)
ANSI/UL1635 Digital Alarm Communicator System
ANSI/UL1023 Household Burglar Alarm System
ANSI/UL985 Household Fire Warning System

These products previously earned certification from ETL in 2008.

DMP security - a new vendor for Vidcom

2009-12-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Real Applications. Real Solutions.
Case Study No. 12
Church Campus Combines Security and Access in their Monitored System
It’s sad but true that even churches have to worry about burglaries and vandalism. Aside from the threat of theft, Redeemer Lutheran Church also had to contend with the more routine problem of controlling the comings and goings of the over 1,000 people who use the church’s facilities for various activities in an average week.
The separate security and access control systems they originally installed were a step in the right direction, but they soon grew tired of the need to manage the separate systems. As an alternative, Atlas Security Service suggested an integrated system able to provide total protection for all buildings at both church campuses. To monitor and manage those systems, Atlas selected Entré CS Access & Security Management System Software for Central Stations.
Management Hassles
Josh Wanner, the church’s Technology Director, had his hands full trying to protect the facilities located in Springfield and Nixa, Missouri. In addition to the actual church buildings, Redeemer Lutheran also had classrooms and gymnasiums. All of the facilities got a lot of use.
"There’s something going on every single day and almost every night," according to Wanner. "There’s bell practice, volleyball and basketball, board meetings, ministries, plus teachers who are in and out at all times throughout the day. We were running into a lot of problems. Doors were being propped open and left unlocked."
Adding to the problems was the large number of people with keys to buildings.
"We had who knows how many keys floating around out there among members," Wanner said. "We could never monitor who had keys or when the keyholders were coming and going. And no one was really accountable for security when they left the building. How can you secure your buildings in a situation like that?"
The Two-System Solution
Their first solution was to install a standalone access control system and a security system at their Springfield campus. Both systems performed as expected, but managing them turned out to be more work than Wanner had bargained for.
"I had to take care of everything," Wanner said. "I was getting the calls to let people in and out, I had to change user accounts and manage the schedules, I was monitoring the security and I was in charge of creating security badges."
"Josh got pretty tired of doing user codes, badges and database changes," explained Jon Adams, Atlas Security Service’s Customer Operations Center Manager. "All of those chores were keeping him pretty busy, but none of them really fell under his job description."
When the church later considered a system for the Nixa campus, Wanner talked to Atlas Security and decided that an integrated system could provide both security and access control while solving Wanner’s management issues. As they considered their total security need, Wanner also decided that the Springfield campus should take the same approach as with Nixa. That would make it possible to monitor and manage all locations together.
To take care of Redeemer Lutheran’s need, Atlas installed Entré CS Access & Security Management System Software for Central Stations from DMP.
"We manage and monitor the entire system using Entré software installed here in our facility," Adams explained. "In
"Entre CS does everything we need it to do, and it’s the easiest software I've ever seen for updating schedules and loading cards in separate panels."
Jon Adams
Customer Operations Center Manager
Atlas Security Service
the past we would typically load software on the customer’s computer, but when that computer breaks or they get a new one, we have to send a tech to get the access control software working again. Customers don’t want to pay for those calls. That can get expensive."
Schedule Relief
One of immediate and most welcome changes with the new system was the fact that Wanner no longer had to devote hours of time each week to managing schedules and users.
"We have over 130 people with access credentials, and a total of 15 different schedules that are updated on a weekly basis," Wanner said. "With the new system, every Friday morning I fill out a schedule of the next week’s activities and email it to Atlas. They get it all scheduled and programmed."
When someone has a problem or a last-minute need to get into one of the buildings, Wanner says he just picks up the phone and has Atlas take care of it.
"I don’t have to worry about getting phone calls and either trying to find a computer somewhere to log in to the system and make the changes, or to physically show up at the door and let someone in or lock a door," Wanner said.
Issuing credentials is also a lot easier. "Instead of keys or badges, we have fobs," Wanner said. "They are about the size of your keyless car entry, but have no buttons. I have a few of them in my desk, each identified with a unique number. If I need to give someone access, I give them a fob and advise Atlas what access rights to grant to that fob. It is so much better than managing keys."
"They really like the fact that they are able to just e-mail us changes to their system rather than doing it themselves," Adams said. "If someone forgot that they had an event one night and need to be let in, they can call us and we can disarm the system or unlock a door while they are on the phone. They use that feature quite a bit."
Now on the Web
Redeemer Lutheran recently began using the Entré Web Client. "That lets them log into our server and view their account via the Internet," Adams explained. "They can login to look at their schedules, and even make changes from anywhere they can log on."
While Wanner chooses not to make changes to his schedules, he greatly enjoys the ability to check them.
"I go in late Friday or Saturday morning to double check the schedule for the week," Wanner said. "I can also send the schedule to someone else so they can double check to make sure it’s right. That’s a good safeguard."
Money Matters
"For us, Entré is great because it allows us to charge a monthly fee to manage the church’s access control user accounts in addition to monitoring their alarms," said Adams. "But the church also comes out ahead, because the cost of our service is significantly less than what they had to pay a person at their location to take care of these changes.
"And now, if an employee quits, is fired, or if there’s an issue with someone who has access to the building, Josh doesn't need to worry about getting keys back or that the employee may have made copies of keys. We simply deactivate their fob from here in our Central Station."
"We are getting great value for what we pay for," Wanner agreed. "When you look at the total time spent, we are probably saving 15 hours a week. Along with those savings comes the confidence that our facilities are secure. We don’t have to stress about whether doors have been locked and our buildings are secured. We know it’s it locked up. It’s good. It’s done … and I sleep a lot better."
A Safer Place of Worship
Adams at Atlas Security Services is pleased with the capabilities provided by the Entré CS software.
"It gives us the ability to really manage our clients’ security and access control. There are so many features and functions available. The software really does a lot for us, and lets us do a lot for our customers."
Wanner at Redeemer Lutheran Church is very happy with the integrated, remotely monitored and managed system.
"Especially for an organization like ours, you need to understand that there are lots of people coming and going. They don’t always let you know in advance when they need in and they are not always careful about locking up when they leave. But with the system installed and monitored by Atlas, we have the confidence of knowing that everything is taken care of and that help is always just a phone call away."
LT-1091 © 2009 Digital Monitoring Products, Inc.
11/09
Equipment List
• Entré Access Control Software
• XR500 Series Access, Burglary and Fire Command Processor™ panel
• Model 734 Wiegand Interface Module
Intrusion • fire • Access • Networks
Made in the USA

data center management

2009-12-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

design
D
ata-center design and cabling-infrastructure architecture have evolved over the years as needs and technologies have changed. In the past, the data-center manager relied on experience, as well as on what solutions previously worked and, more importantly, what did not work. Planning today’s data center, however, requires a more rigorous approach due to the faster pace at which the data center is changing.
In recent history, we used stacks of servers and large tape carousels; today, we see blade servers and RAID (redundant array of independent disks) systems. Your cabling infrastructure must be capable of servicing these ever-changing needs in the data center.
Fortunately, industry guidance has arrived, now that the new standard for data centers is available. The ANSI/TIA/EIA-942 Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers lists requirements and provides recommendations for data center design and construction. TIA-942 includes guidance relative to many areas, including grounding/bonding, pathways and spaces, and redundancy.
TIA-568-B, meanwhile, only addresses structured wiring. As the commercial building standard ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1-2001 Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard has done for commercial LANs, the new data center standard provides a great tool for planning and designing the key components that make up a data center.
Using the TIA-942 standard as a guide, we see that the enterprise data center is divided into functional areas, including a main distribution area (MDA), zone distribution area(s) (ZDA), and equipment distribution area(s) (EDA).
The TIA-942 standard includes significantly more detail than will be described in this article; the standard is available for purchase from Global Engineering Documents (http://global.ihs.com/). Because most of the optical cabling within a data center is located within access flooring, we will focus on that section.
What solution to use?
The most efficient optical infrastructure is one in which all components are preterminated in the factory. All connectors are installed and tested in the factory and packaged such that components are not damaged during installation. The installer unpacks the components, pulls the preconnectorized cable assembly into place,

ONSSI VIDCOM

2009-11-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) has been recognized as the leading vendor of open-platform network video management software in the Americas – based on market share dominance – by IMS Research, a top supplier of detailed market data in the global electronics industry. In their report “The Americas Market For CCTV and Video Surveillance Equipment,” IMS Research named OnSSI as number one in market share both in the category “Open Platform IP Video Surveillance Management Software” and in a separate category covering “Software Only Vendors” of such systems. The IMS Research report, which provides an overall statistical view of the video surveillance marketplace, lists OnSSI ahead of every other open-platform IP video management system provider. OnSSI has moved into the top position in the Americas, gaining market share more rapidly than any open platform IP video surveillance management software vendors in the video surveillance industry. OnSSI’s impressive growth rate has continued to be strong during the challenging economic climate. OnSSI holds a strong leadership position for open platform Video Management Software (VMS) with a 13.8% market share. In the category of software-only VMS vendors, OnSSI has increased its market share to a leading 30.9%. OnSSI gained significant market share in 2008 (the year on which the report is based) compared to the previous year, driven by continuing development of innovative video solutions reflecting OnSSI's core strength in Internet protocol (IP) systems. OnSSI's technology leadership is evidenced by the market response to their Ocularis video physical security information management (PSIM) solution, which includes a highly intuitive, unified user interface empowering instantaneous control of video detection, analysis, delivery and response. "We are very proud of this recognition from IMS Research. OnSSI's market leadership position is a reflection of the collaborative efforts of our solution, channel and sales partners in the industry, and testimony to OnSSI's efforts to develop and support industry leading solutions,” said Gadi Piran, CTO and President of OnSSI. “OnSSI captured both market share and market position, a commendable achievement,” said Alastair Hayfield, Senior Market Research Analyst, IMS Research. “With the Americas' network surveillance market experiencing strong growth through the recession, OnSSI is well positioned to leverage its Ocularis platform for continued success.” About IMS Research IMS Research was founded in 1989 and is now one of the leading suppliers of detailed, quality market research to the global electronics industry.

Code Blue made in Michigan security

2009-11-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

Vidcom Solutions Code Blue Promotes "Made In Michigan" With Manufacturing Relocation
After a year of surveying operations and strategic planning, Code Blue announces moving several manufactured components from Asia back to Western Michigan. "When relocating existing operations or embarking upon an expansion or consolidation, successful location selection can greatly impact a company's bottom line, as well as the economic well-being of the chosen location," stated Al Brummel, Code Blue’s general manager.
Brummel added, “Code Blue’s ability to convert opportunities into success depends upon two aspects. The first is how the company responds to changes in the marketplace and the second is the overall health of the company. Code Blue needs to ensure continued company growth by reaching out to customers with new, state-of-the-art and reliable products.”
“We’re thrilled to announce the completion of this move. We’re equally pleased to partner with cutting-edge companies that provide a unique method of manufacturing products allowing us to streamline our throughput and meet future production requirements.” "In relocating these manufacturing operations domestically, these aforementioned issues will be addressed. The impact of company growth, product research and development will have, in turn, a direct affect on stimulating the economical growth of our local Michigan partners."
Code Blue products qualify with the Buy America provision of the Amercian Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed February 2009. The $787 billion dollar stimulus plan includes funds to award contracts, grants and loans to strengthen the safety and security of primary and secondary schools, universities, corporations, hospitals, airports, transit systems and similar facilities.

IP Video cameras

2009-11-03T09:51:00.001-08:00

Today's architects and engineers, as well as systems integrators, face an abundance of choices when they sit down to design or spec a security system project. Should they use megapixel or regular IP cameras; LCDs or plasmas; fingerprint or iris recognition technology; virtual or real matrix switchers; COTS (common off the shelf) or custom software? The selection and possible combinations of hardware with powerful new software has changed the nature of how systems are designed. One of the biggest influencers driving this trend is clearly the prevalence of open architecture based systems software.
Systems featuring an open architecture platform enable processes residing on multiple processors and operating systems to communicate with each other seamlessly, as if they were running on the same processor under the same operating system. This enables systems designers and users to customize their systems' capabilities with the specific feature sets and functionality they want and need. Open architecture also facilitates interoperability between formerly disparate systems devices such that have proprietary control protocols like many PTZ cameras, and control and management software. For example, video surveillance systems can now be easily integrated with POS (point of sale) or ATM systems to allow searches of specific surveillance images combined with the synchronized data to confirm actions or analyze patterns. Open architecture platforms allow designers to easily combine these systems to provide integrated functionality.
Another key aspect/advantage of integrated systems based on open architecture is the advanced level of control and management available through the use of application driven middleware or system management software. These powerful control tools are designed for monitoring, accessing and storing video in one or hundreds of locations.
Intelligent video applications such as motion or object detection enable seamless integration with powerful, mission-specific modules, controllable from centralized control and management software. Modules can also often be easily integrated with other external applications, databases of physical devices to further extend their functionality, and can be assigned multiple rules and schedules for precise information extraction.
In a distributed IP video surveillance scenario, the ability to view, share and distribute video, statistical and integrated information with other applications and systems such as access control and intrusion detection systems would not be possible without an open architecture platform. This hardware agnostic approach to systems configuration provides more latitude in choosing components for a best of breed system solution. The decision for which video servers, storage devices, IP cameras, fire alarm panels, emergency phones and most other IP-based systems can be made based on need rather than being limited to a restricted and proprietary line from a single manufacturer or without having to "backhaul" an entire system.
These kinds of advantages also result in a bottom line cost saving which is often seen in the procurement process and during the life cycle of the system, as well as in any system expansion. Conversely, non-integrated, closed platform systems are limited with respect to interoperability and lack a common control platform resulting in higher operational costs and limited return on investment.
As IP networked video surveillance and security systems continue to gain traction in the industry, our industry will continue to see the development and implementation of more software-driven solutions supplemented by application driven middleware. And as bandwidth and storage issues continue to become less of an issue (due to emerging solutions like IP megapixel cameras with H.264 compression and system control solutions based on push technology), the capabilities and performance of video and security systems will continue to improve. These same factors will also continue to drive higher levels of systems integration that actually approach the enterprise level. Much of this is the result of open architecture systems and the seemingly endless possibilities it represents.

Axis cameras from Vidcom

2009-10-06T14:16:00.001-07:00

Axis strengthens its position on the global security market
Axis Communications maintains its strong market leading position for network cameras and further improves its position in the category - global vendors providing video surveillance equipment. This was published in the latest report from IMS Research.
The 2009 edition of the annual IMS Research report “The World Market for CCTV & Video Surveillance Equipment” is based on data compiled in 2008 and provides an overall view of the video surveillance market for both traditional analog manufacturers and the network video market where Axis is active.In the report, Axis is ranked fourth in the world in the category - vendors providing video surveillance equipment - compared with sixth place last year. Axis retains as number three in the world in the security cameras category, which includes analog as well as network cameras. In the network cameras category, Axis is identified as clear market leader and retains its market leading position.“The fact that Axis strengthened the company’s position in the overall security surveillance category and now ranks as one of the four largest vendors providing video surveillance equipment shows that the ongoing shift from analog to digital surveillance continued at a strong pace in 2008”, says Ray Mauritsson, President of Axis Communications."In just three short years Axis Communications has moved from being the 12th largest vendor of video surveillance equipment globally to the 4th spot in 2008 - an impressive and noteworthy achievement by any standard. Axis Communications remains the largest provider of network video surveillance equipment by market share globally", says Alastair Hayfield, Senior Market Research Analyst, IMS Research.Axis focuses on the professional segment of the network video market with customers in sectors including education, transportation and government. In the IMS report these customer segments are identified as the largest growth areas for network video in the coming years.

HDTV and Video Surveillance

2009-07-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Introduction
The TV market is moving rapidly towards high-definition television, HDTV. This change brings truly remarkable
improvements in image quality and color fidelity. HDTV provides up to five times higher resolution
and twice the linear resolution compared with traditional, analog TV. Furthermore, HDTV comes
with wide screen format and DVD-quality audio.
Growth in the consumer market for HDTV is impressive. In 2007 the HDTV household penetration in the
U.S. was approximately 35%. According to estimates, 85% of all viewers will have an HDTV set at home
by 2012. Already today, virtually all major television productions are HD.
The two most important HDTV standards today are SMPTE 296M and SMPTE 274M, which are defined
by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, SMPTE.
HDTV impact on video surveillance market
This development is now starting to have an impact on the video surveillance market, as customers ask
for higher image quality standard. The possibility of clearer, sharper images is a long sought quality in
the surveillance industry, i.e. in applications where objects are moving or accurate identification is vital.
It can be argued that some of these requirements can be met with megapixel network cameras. However
the notion of “megapixel” is not a recognized standard but rather an adaptation of the industry’s
best practices and it refers specifically to the number of image sensor elements of the digital camera.
With high resolution follows huge amounts of image data, which more often than not leads to compromises
on frame rate. A megapixel camera alone is therefore not synonymous with high image quality.
In contrast, a network camera that complies with any of the given HDTV standards is guaranteed to
provide a certain resolution, frame rate and color fidelity, thereby ensuring video quality at all times.
Development of HDTV
The basic difference between HDTV and traditional analog TV is the number of pixels that make up the
image information on each screen. During the second half of the 20th century two different standards
dominated the market: PAL and NTSC.
PAL, or Phase Alternating Line, is found in Europe and the greater part of Asia. It is a system with 576
active TV lines (TVL) at 50 Hz and a frame rate of 25 frames per second (fps). North and Central America
as well as some parts of Asia opted for NTSC, National Television System Committee. This system
broadcasts 480 active TV lines at 60 Hz (30 fps).
High-resolution television can be said to go as far back as 1958. The first to develop a technique that
gave extremely clear and crisp images was the soviet military. Their system for televised conferences,
Transformator, was capable of producing an image composed of 1,125 lines of resolution. A decade later
the Japanese state broadcaster, NHK, developed the first system for commercial use.
The lengthy development process was not related to indifference or lack of public demand. On the contrary,
HDTV and the prospect of vastly improved image quality stirred consumer interest globally. The
industry realized the potential of a rising mass market. But to get there one problem remained to be
solved: A far more effective compression technique was inevitable to make it possible to broadcast the
vast amounts of data that comes with HDTV.
Experimental HDTV systems in, for example, the U.S. were all rejected because of their high bandwidth
requirements. Typically, early broadcast systems required between two and four times the bandwidth of
a standard-definition broadcast, making it only possible to distribute by satellite. It soon became evident
that a successful HDTV standard required better efficiencies.
1.
2.
4
It was also understood that only a digital system could possibly deliver the desired results, but such a
system had not yet been developed.
The first major breakthrough came in the early 1990’s with the MPEG set of compression standards,
which was based on pattern-recognition research for cruise missile development at the NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. The MPEG-2 standard followed in 1993, spurring the development even further. A
joint project between MPEG and the Video Coding Experts Group of the International Telecom Union, ITU
eventually resulted in the H.264 standard, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10/AVC. This compression technique
not only made HDTV broadcast possible, but also economically viable.
How HDTV works
HDTV constitutes a tremendous leap forward in image quality by providing up to five times higher
resolution than standard analog TV. This means sharper images, better color fidelity and a wide screen
format, i.e. 16:9 ratio.
HDTV broadcast systems are identified with three major parameters: frame size, scanning system and
frame rate.
Frame size
Frame size is defined as the number of horizontal pixels times the number of vertical pixels, e.g. 1280x720
or 1920x1080. The number of horizontal pixels is often omitted, since it is implied in the context. Therefore
the different systems are usually referred to as 720 or 1080, combined with the letter i or p depending
on what scanning method is used.
Given that traditional television normally broadcasts in 704x576i or 704x480i, the visual information on
an HDTV is two to five times larger.
Scanning
There are two techniques for scanning: interlaced and progressive, identified with the letter i and p respectively.
3.
1920x1080
HD
1280x720
HD
720x486
NTSC
Different aspect ratios of NTSC and HDTV
5
Interlaced scanning was originally introduced as a way to improve the image quality of a video signal
without consuming additional bandwidth. The method soon became ubiquitous in traditional, analog
television sets. To put it simply, the technique splits each frame into two so-called fields. The scanning
starts at the top-left corner and sweeps all the way to the bottom-right corner, skipping every alternate
row on the way. Interlaced video thereby reduces the signal bandwidth by a factor of two, allowing for
a higher refresh rate and, thereby, reducing flicker and improving the portrayal of motion.
There are, however, some downsides to interlaced video. For instance, if objects are moving fast enough
they will be in different positions when each individual field is captured. This may cause what is called
motion artifacts. Normally these are not visible but can appear if the video is displayed at a slower speed
than it was captured or when presented as a still frame. Another potential problem is called interline
twitter. It is an effect that shows up when the subject being shot contains very fine vertical details that
approach the horizontal resolution of the video format.
These limitations can be avoided using progressive scanning. This technique captures, transmits and
displays all lines in the image in a single frame. Scanning is done line by line, from top to bottom. In
other words, captured images are not split into separate fields like in interlaced scanning so there is
virtually no “flickering” effect.
In a surveillance application, this can be critical for viewing details within a moving image such as a
person running or a vehicle moving. Another benefit of this technique is that single frames can be used
to make paper copies with almost photographic quality. This can be crucial if the material is, for instance,
to be used as evidence in a court of law. Of course, these potential gains must be weighed against progressive
scanning’s requirement for somewhat more bandwidth.
Frame rate
Frame rate is defined as the number of image frames per second (fps). For interlaced systems, the number
often implies the field rate, which means the number usually is twice as high since there are two fields to
every frame.
Historically, one of the thornier issues had to do with a suitable frame/field refresh rate. Countries were
divided into two camps – for reasons that very much depended on the frequency of the mains electrical
supplies, which in turn affect image stability – favoring either 25/50 fps or 30/60 fps. Nonetheless both
systems are compliant with HDTV and consequently also meet the full frame rate requirements of video
surveillance.
At left, a full-sized JPEG image (704x576 pixels) from an analog camera using interlaced scanning. At right, a full-sized
JPEG image (640x480 pixels) from an Axis network camera using progressive scan technology. Both cameras used the
same type of lens and the speed of the car was the same at 20 km/h (15 mph). The background is clear in both images.
However, the driver is clearly visible only in the image using progressive scan technology.
6
HDTV standardization
The introduction of the MPEG-1 compression standard provided the foundation for digital TV and spurred
the development of modern TV standards worldwide.
Today, the most important HDTV standards body is the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
The group, recognized as the global leader in the development of standards and authoritative
practices for film, television, video and multimedia, has defined the two most important standards:
SMPTE 296M and SMPTE 274M.
Basically, SMPTE 296M defines a resolution of 1280x720 pixels using progressive scanning, while SMPTE
274M defines a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels using either interlaced or progressive scanning.
With digital compression methods such as MPEG-2 and H.264, the bandwidth for a single analog TV
channel is enough to carry up to five regular digital TV channels, or up to two HDTV channels using
progressive scanning.
HDTV formats
HDTV usually assumes a wide screen aspect ratio of 16:9 and horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels with
progressive scan. Consequently, this creates a frame resolution of 2,073,600 (1920x1080) pixels. The
frame rate can vary and is specified after the letter p, for example: 1080p30 or 1080p50.
Other HDTV formats are 1080i and 720p. The aspect ratio is the same for all three: 16:9. 1080i shows
1920x1080 lines with interlaced scanning, while 720p displays 1280x720 (921,600) pixels with progressive
scanning.
Benefits of HDTV in video surveillance
Working with progressive scan, network cameras with HDTV performance deliver true color representation
and clear images even if the object is moving fast. This makes it a highly attractive solution for
surveillance operations where greater image detail is required, such as at retail stores, airports, passport
controls, casinos and highways.
This quality development has been long sought after, but it could not be realized until the video compression
techniques were efficient enough. The H.264 standard is an open, licensed standard that can
reduce the size of a digital video file – without compromising image quality – by more than 80% compared
with the Motion JPEG format and by as much as 50% compared with MPEG-4 Part 2. Because of
the flexibility combined with its economy of bandwidth and storage, H.264 is expected to be more
widely adopted than previous compression standards.
There is no doubt that H.264 was a necessary prerequisite for introducing HDTV in video surveillance.
The efficient compression simultaneously enables high resolution, high frame rates and 16:9 aspect ratio.
HDTVs are based on square pixels, similar to computer screens, so HDTV video from network video products
can be shown on either HDTV screens or standard computer monitors. However, with progressive
scan HDTV video, no conversion or deinterlacing technique needs to be applied when the video is to be
processed by a computer or displayed on a computer screen.
6.
4.
5.
7
Conclusion
The image quality improvements brought by high-definition TV has been well received and generates
great demand in the consumer market. Consequently, a similar trend can already be seen in the traditional
video surveillance market. HDTV-compliant network cameras deliver a resolution, color representation,
16:9 aspect ratio and frame rate that are in accordance with international standards, making
them an appealing solution in surveillance situations that require high quality images.
7.
Benefits of HDTV
>> International standard
>> Superior image quality
>> Minimum 25/30 frame rate capacity
>> High resolution
>> Color fidelity
>> 16:9 aspect ratio
www.axis.com
33947/EN/R1/0812 About Axis Communications
Axis is an IT company offering network video solutions for
professional installations. The company is the global
market leader in network video, driving the ongoing shift
from analog to digital video surveillance. Axis products
and solutions focus on security surveillance and remote
monitoring, and are based on innovative, open technology
platforms.
Axis is a Swedish-based company, operating worldwide
with offices in more than 20 countries and cooperating
with partners in more than 70 countries. Founded in 1984,
Axis is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm under the
ticker AXIS. For more information about Axis, please visit
our website at www.axis.com.
©2008 Axis Communications AB. AXIS COMMUNICATIONS, AXIS, ETRAX, ARTPEC and VAPIX are registered trademarks or trademark applications of Axis AB
in various jurisdictions. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. We reserve the right
to introduce modifications without notice.

New Axis IP Camera

2009-07-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Axis introduces high-performance, outdoor-ready PTZ dome camera with H.264
Axis Communications today introduces an outdoor-ready, high-performance PTZ dome camera designed for easy and reliable installation in demanding surveillance applications. AXIS Q6032-E PTZ Dome Network Camera is ideal for use at airports and seaports, as well as for city and perimeter surveillance.
“AXIS Q6032-E is a top-performing PTZ dome camera that’s ready right out of the box for mounting outdoors,” says Erik Frännlid, Axis’ Director of Product Management. “There is no need to purchase and mount a separate outdoor housing, so it’s quick and easy to install the network camera. AXIS Q6032-E meets demanding requirements for superb video quality, high zoom for detailed inspection, fast and precise pan/tilt performance and reliable operation in extreme climates.”
Arctic Temperature Control, a new and unique functionality from Axis, is introduced for the first time in AXIS Q6032-E. It allows the camera to not only function at -40 °C (-40 °F) but also power up at that temperature following a power failure. The camera can operate in temperatures ranging from -40 °C to 50 °C (-40 °F to 122 °F) and has an IP66-rated protection against dust and water.
AXIS Q6032-E is powered through High Power over Ethernet, which simplifies installation since only one cable is needed for carrying power, as well as video and pan/tilt/zoom controls. With High PoE, the camera can continue to operate even during a power failure as the network can be connected to an Uninterruptible Power Supply. A High PoE midspan is supplied with the camera.
The camera’s superb video quality is achieved through a number of features. They include automatic day and night functionality, 128x wide dynamic range, progressive scan technology, and a powerful 35x optical and 12x digital zoom with autofocus. License plates, for instance, can be read from a distance of 160 m (525 ft.). A moving object within the camera’s field of view can also be automatically detected and followed using the camera’s intelligent auto-tracking functionality.
AXIS Q6032-E provides the H.264 video compression format, which greatly optimizes bandwidth and storage use without compromising image quality. Motion JPEG is also supported for increased flexibility.
The camera’s built-in SD/SDHC memory card slot enables recordings to be stored locally. AXIS Q6032-E includes advanced network capabilities for improved security, efficiency and manageability. The camera is supported by the AXIS Camera Station video management software, as well as the industry’s largest base of application software through Axis’ Application Development Partner program. AXIS Q6032-E will be available to order in June 2009.
About Axis CommunicationsAxis is an IT company offering network video solutions for professional installations. The company is the global market leader in network video, driving the ongoing shift from analog to digital video surveillance. Axis products and solutions focus on security surveillance and remote monitoring, and are based on innovative, open technology platforms. Axis is a Swedish-based company, operating worldwide with offices in more than 20 countries and cooperating with partners in more than 70 countries. Founded in 1984, Axis is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, under the ticker AXIS. For more information about Axis, please visit our website at www.axis.com.

Church security in Michigan

2009-04-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Map out your church's surveillance needs

Any good security system begins with a well thought out plan. To begin the process of mapping out the specific security needs of your church building, review all of the possible access points into and out of the building. You will also want to consider what types of activities will be taking place inside your church throughout the week.

Is their a church daycare center that will need to be monitored on a daily basis? Is their an outside playground or activity area that may need to be watched throughout the week? What are the potential reasons these areas will need to be monitored? Are you concerned about potential vandalism? These are all security concerns that will have to be addressed based on the specific location and ministry of your specific church.

Determine specific equipment requirements
Once you have thoroughly assessed your church's specific security needs, you are ready to determine the exact equipment requirements for your new security surveillance system. Some of the basic equipment components you may need are reviewed below. The exact number and specific type of components will vary based on your exact specifications.
Surveillance cameras -- The type of camera needed is determined based on where the camera will be mounted. There are different types of surveillance cameras required for outdoor installations, covert installations, low light installations, etc.
Software -- Your software needs will also vary based on the size of the church and the configuration of your security surveillance network. A basic software package is generally included with your camera purchase and will probably be fine for a small-scale network. If you have more unique needs like remote viewing, multi-site monitoring, or the need to integrate with other security components, you will need a much more advanced package.
Digital video recorders (DVRs) -- Digital video recorders allow you to capture images from your surveillance cameras and save them to your computer hard drive. This gives you a great deal of flexibility in how you can view and manage images captured by the surveillance cameras in your network. You may be able to get away without a DVR if you have a very small church and do not really have a need to monitor after hours. However, if you have a large network of surveillance cameras, this device is almost a necessity.

Monitors -- Monitors are devices that allow you to view the images captured from your surveillance cameras. With many of the newer surveillance systems that integrate directly to your PC, you can use your computer monitor to view captured images. Stand-alone monitors can be purchased however if you are in need of additional viewing devices.

Select appropriate equipment
Once you have conducted your online research of the different surveillance camera equipment available, you will need to narrow down your selections. Make sure you purchase camera equipment that contains all of the features you need for your installation. You will definitely want to consider future expansion needs of your surveillance network and purchase equipment that can easily integrate and upgrade accordingly. However, if you church's security needs are very simple, be careful that you do not spend extra on options that you do not need and will never use.
Install and maintain
The final step in the process of implementing a security plan for your church is installing and maintaining the actual surveillance equipment. Many of the newer wireless systems on the market today are very easy to install. If you are taking on the project yourself and do not have a lot of experience with video technology, you should definitely consider wireless security cameras. However, if you have no desire to tackle the project yourself, a professional installation will more than likely be the way to go.
Once the security cameras are fully installed, you will need to have someone responsible to monitor the network. Again, the complexity of this function is dependant on the specific security needs of your church. If your security system is very small, the necessary monitoring will be minimal. If you need to maintain a high level of security, you will probably need to employ full time monitoring personnel. You can have the most advanced surveillance equipment on the market, but if you are not monitoring the security system itself, the technology is useless.
There are many issues to consider when mapping out and setting up a security plan for your church. In the end though, the increased safety and peace of mind everyone will experience will make your efforts all worth it.

About Vidcom Solutions

Michigan's clear choice for design and installation of access control systems, IP video surveillance configuration, computer and network cabling, intrusion alarms and integrated security solutions.
Welcome to Vidcom Solutions, your security integration specialists. Since 1996 we have built our reputation as the most knowledgeable and customer-focused commercial & government building security firm in Michigan. We will work with you to design the perfect solution for your facility's security requirements using best of breed systems from our integration partners. We install and service everything we sell using our own factory trained, licensed and fully insured technicians. Our seasoned staff of engineers and technicians delivers unmatched excellence in your security system installation, maintenance and service. Vidcom Solutions is acknowledged as Michigan's clear choice for access control and surveillance needs. We’re ready to earn your business !

Exacqvision 3.4 released new ip cameras supported

2009-04-07T06:04:00.001-07:00

exacqVision 3.4 Released
Version 3.4 of exacqVision Video Management Software has just been released. This latest release, compatible with all exacqVision Hybrid and IP video surveillance systems, incorporates new features and enhancements, and continues our quest for rapid, incremental updates.
Version 3.4 is available for download here. Key features in the 3.4 Release:
Instant ‘Find Camera’ F3 Function Key
Canon IP Camera Support
Latest Axis H.264 IP Camera Models Support
IPX IP Camera Support
CBC Ganz DDK IP Camera & H.264 Megapixel IP Camera Support
Arecont Vision H.264 MegaDome & Panoramic Megapixel IP Camera Support
New Language Localizations
DSX Access Control Integration
Here are some of the features in detail:
Instant ‘Find Camera’ F3 Function Key A new shortcut Function Key feature has been added to enable instant display of any camera in the enterprise system into any window.
Whether the exacqVision client is operating on a single monitor and connected to a single server, or whether connected to a large enterprise of dozens of servers, and powering many monitors, the new F3 function key provides the ability to quickly select any camera.
Among the many applications of this feature, it is useful when following an individual through a large building, casino or retail store. Replacing the functionality of a Pelco or American Dynamics keypad, this feature allows for quick selection of specific cameras by the operator to enable following the individual. The following YouTube clip gives a brief overview of the capabilities of this feature:
New IP Camera SupportA number of new IP camera vendors, and new IP camera models, have been added to the list of supported devices, including new multi-megapixel H.264 models from Arecont and CBC, as well as the new HD megapixel IP camera from Axis:
CanonSupport has been added for the latest cameras in the Canon IP camera line, specifically the VB-C50i, VB-C60 and the VB-C500D.
Arecont VisionSupport has been added for the new MegaDome H.264 megapixel IP camera line, consisting of models AV1355, AV2155, AV3155 and AV5155. Support has also been added the for the new Panoramic H.264 megapixel IP cameras, the AV8185 and the AV8365.
AxisSupport has been added for a number of new Axis H.264 IP cameras, including the new Q1755 HDTV H.264 Megapixel IP camera, the M7001 H.264 video encoder, the M1011, M1011-W and M1031-W small form factor H.264 cameras, and the M3011 and M3014 fixed dome H.264 cameras.
IPXSupport has been added for the IPX line of dual-codec MJPEG and MPEG-4 IP cameras, including the IPX-DDK-1500 network box camera, the IPX-DDK-1500D network dome camera, and the IPX-VE-3500 network video encoder.
CBC GanzSupport has been added for the new line of H.264 megapixel IP cameras from CBC Ganz, including the MP1DN, MP2DN, MP3DN and MP5DN. Support has also been added for the dual-codec IP camera models DDK-1500 box camera and DDK-1500D dome camera.
A complete list of the supported IP cameras and encoders is available on our website here.
Access Control Integration - DSXAdding to our growing list of access control integration is DSX, with their WinDSX system.
The exacq-WinDSX integration allows stored and live video from the exacqVision servers to be accessed within the DSX software.
Real time video can be automatically displayed in response to alarm events. Live and recorded video can be accessed from the alarm acknowledgement screen or from any input/output or camera icon. Recorded video can be viewed while running a History report. Live and recorded video can be accessed from Alarm Maps though a right-click on an I/O or Camera icon. Live and recorded video can be accessed from the Alarm and Monitor windows through a right-click on a given event. Live and recorded video can be accessed from the Input and Output control screens.

New website for Vidcom

2009-04-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Vidcom Solutions, your security integration specialists. Since 1996 we have built our reputation as the most knowledgeable and customer-focused commercial & government building security firm in Michigan. We will work with you to design the perfect solution for your facility's security requirements using best of breed systems from our integration partners. We install and service everything we sell using our own factory trained, licensed and fully insured technicians. Our seasoned staff of engineers and technicians delivers unmatched excellence in your security system installation, maintenance and service. Vidcom Solutions is acknowledged as Michigan's clear choice for access control and surveillance needs. We’re ready to earn your business !

Access control systems, biometric entry security, security or CCTV camera systems, IP video security cameras and IP network video recorders, digital video cameras and digital video recorders, wireless security cameras, night security cameras, outdoor security cameras, zone intrusion alarms, gate controls, door strike hardware, alarm system replacement batteries and alarm system service and parts.We install and service everything we sell using our own factory trained, licensed and fully insured technicians.Vidcom Solutions is the favorite choice of those looking for a; Church security system School security system Hotel security system Apartment complex security system Industrial security system Professional office building security system Casino security system Because Vidcom Solutions is an authorized dealer for many of the top names in access control and security we can present you a wide variety of building security options. We are proud to recommend solutions by Galaxy Control Systems, Bosch, Pelco, IndigoVision, ONSSI, Axis IP cameras, and many others.

Michigan Security Specialists

2009-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Michigan Security Specialists: "Access control systems, biometric entry security, security or CCTV camera systems, IP video security cameras and IP network video recorders, digital video cameras and digital video recorders, wireless security cameras, night security cameras, outdoor security cameras, zone intrusion alarms, gate controls, door strike hardware, alarm system replacement batteries and alarm system service and parts.
We install and service everything we sell using our own factory trained, licensed and fully insured technicians."

detroit security camera ip video access control

2008-10-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

detroit lansing grand rapids warren sterling heights Welcome to Vidcom Solutions your security integration specialist. Since 1996 we have continually built our reputation as the leading authority in commercial building security. Our seasoned staff of technicians and engineers delivers combined experiences exceeding hundreds of years. Combine this with our ability to design the perfect system for your facility, using best of breed components, and Vidcom Solutions is the clear choice for your access control and surveillance needs.Our specialties include;Access control systems, biometric entry security, security or CCTV camera systems, IP video security cameras and IP network video recorders, digital video cameras and digital video recorders, wireless security cameras, night security cameras, outdoor security cameras, zone intrusion alarms, gate controls, door strike hardware, alarm system replacement batteries and alarm system service and parts.We install and service everything we sell using our own factory trained, licensed and fully insured technicians.Vidcom Solutions is the favorite choice of those looking for a;Church security systemSchool security system Hotel security system Apartment complex security system Industrial security system Professional office building security system Casino security systemBecause Vidcom Solutions is an authorized dealer for many of the top names in access control and security we can present you a wide variety of building security options. We are proud to recommend solutions by Galaxy Control Systems, Bosch, Pelco, IndigoVision, ONSSI, Axis IP cameras, and many others

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2008-10-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Vidcom Solutions your security integration specialist. Since 1996 we have continually built our reputation as the leading authority in commercial building security. Our seasoned staff of technicians and engineers delivers combined experiences exceeding hundreds of years. Combine this with our ability to design the perfect system for your facility, using best of breed components, and Vidcom Solutions is the clear choice for your access control and surveillance needs.
Our specialties include;
Access control systems, biometric entry security, security or CCTV camera systems, IP video security cameras and IP network video recorders, digital video cameras and digital video recorders, wireless security cameras, night security cameras, outdoor security cameras, zone intrusion alarms, gate controls, door strike hardware, alarm system replacement batteries and alarm system service and parts.
We install and service everything we sell using our own factory trained, licensed and fully insured technicians.
Vidcom Solutions is the favorite choice of those looking for a;
Church security system
School security system
Hotel security system
Apartment complex security system
Industrial security system
Professional office building security system
Casino security system
Because Vidcom Solutions is an authorized dealer for many of the top names in access control and security we can present you a wide variety of building security options. We are proud to recommend solutions by Galaxy Control Systems, Bosch, Pelco, IndigoVision, ONSSI, Axis IP cameras, and many others

vidcom solutions security experts

2008-10-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

Access control systems, biometric entry security, security or CCTV camera systems, IP video security cameras and IP network video recorders, digital video cameras and digital video recorders, wireless security cameras, night security cameras, outdoor security cameras, zone intrusion alarms, gate controls, door strike hardware, alarm system replacement batteries and alarm system service and parts.
We install and service everything we sell using our own factory trained, licensed and fully insured technicians.
Vidcom Solutions is the favorite choice of those looking for a;
Church security system
School security system
Hotel security system
Apartment complex security system
Industrial security system
Professional office building security system
Casino security system
Because Vidcom Solutions is an authorized dealer for many of the top names in access control and security we can present you a wide variety of building security options. We are proud to recommend solutions by Galaxy Control Systems, Bosch, Pelco, IndigoVision, ONSSI, Axis IP cameras, and many others.

Security systems CCTV Systems

2008-10-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Vidcom solutions michigan security specialists

2008-09-18T17:17:00.001-07:00

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Vidcom solutions

2008-09-17T12:04:00.001-07:00

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2008-09-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

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