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Jewelry story utilizes high resolution cameras to help identify suspects and keep assets safe
High definition IP cameras have proven to be a cost-effective deterrent to criminal activities because high quality images provide more detail for forensic review which can lead to improved suspect identity live and after the fact, and ultimately a safer environment for customers.
Mallor Joyeria, an upscale jewelry store in Morelia, Michoacán, México, was a constant target of thieves. With the low-quality resolution of the store’s previous video surveillance system, none of the suspects were ever definitively identified or caught. It was clear that a higher quality video surveillance system was needed.
Eight dome cameras were installed at the jewelry store, including six specifically positioned to cover jewelry showcases. The system is monitored locally by store management and can also be monitored remotely via the Internet. As a result of the camera installation, store management reports a lower rate of theft attempts and an increase in security for customers.
The new system enables the jewelry store to gather, analyze and interpret any evidence of theft, which helps them achieve their primary goal of greater security. In addition, better video quality makes it easier to view the way clients and clerks handle jewelry, watches and other highly valued products while they are being showcased. The system could even increase lead to a decrease in insurance costs.
High definition imaging represents a significant upgrade in system functionality compared to standard-resolution cameras. The use of fewer high definition cameras to cover larger areas dramatically decreases costs related to other elements of a system. This advantage plays especially well in the retail environment, where costs are always a consideration. Their use in a small retail environment such as Mallor Joyeria illustrates the flexibility of high resolution definition and their cost-effectiveness for a wide range of mainstream applications.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is a state-controlled oil and gas company headquartered in Mumbai, India. Among the world’s largest corporations, the company was ranked #272 in the Fortune Global 500 listing for 2011.
Recently, BPCL embarked on a surveillance project as part of the organization‘s initiative to restructure the internal surveillance system. Prior to the structure reform, the old surveillance system was not centralized. As the headquarters would like to gain better understanding of the operation at each branch location in order to improve the business and communication between the headquarters and each station, a new surveillance system was proposed – installation of a total of 5000 high-performance surveillance cameras at 1000 petrol stations throughout India.
BPCL sells petrol, diesel and compressed natural gas to consumers at these stations. The company hoped to take advantage of top quality video cameras primarily to not only monitor the customer experience for quality control purposes but also to enhance the level safety for customers and employees.
As for the particular cameras, BPCL required very high-quality video, as it needed to be able to identify the license plate of a vehicle, an employee and a potential criminal — all to ensure that customers were to the best possible services. In addition, to simplify administration, BPCL hoped to use as few cameras as possible at each location.
Designed for demanding outdoor surveillance applications, the selected cameras not only included a removable IR-cut filter and built-in IR illuminators for daytime and nighttime monitoring, but it also adds robust WDR (wide dynamic range) enhancement to ensure that clear, properly exposed video can be obtained no matter the time of day—even when particularly challenging high-contrast lighting conditions—where bright and dark areas are present in the field of view—prevail.
Video from the cameras is being recorded 24 hours a day at Full HD resolution, while to conserve bandwidth, VGA-quality streams are monitored at BPCL headquarters in Mumbai. Together, the live and archived footage are already proving valuable resources for management as it checks service quality at the stations, and seeks improvements where deemed necessary. Station owners can also monitor activity, and refer to the high-quality recorded video in case of incidents.
Des Moines Area Community College Creates Safe Campus Environment
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Iowa has deployed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system to prevent unlawful activity, and boost student and staff safety. With close to 75,000 credit and non-credit students and 3,000 staff spread across six campuses, 48 buildings, and 1.4 million square feet, DMACC can pre-empt unlawful activity and boost student safety with the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system’s superior image quality, advanced management features, scalability, and ease-of-use.
“All American colleges are required to report crime data on an annual basis and while we currently enjoy a low crime rate, we know we are not immune to the threats that have plagued other colleges across the country,” said Ned Miller, director of Campus Safety and Emergency Management at DMACC. “With the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system in place, we can resolve incidents quickly and provide a safe campus environment for students and staff by providing usable, high-quality, and accessible surveillance video.”
During the first phase of deployment, DMACC designed the network infrastructure needed to effectively run the Avigilon Control Center network video management software (NVMS) with High-Definition Stream Management™ (HDSM) technology. DMACC also installed 45 Avigilon HD cameras ranging from 1 to 16MP to monitor high traffic areas and parking lots at the Ankeny, Urban, and West campuses, and plans to add another 400 cameras over the next couple of years. The college relies on 25 Avigilon analog video encoders to improve the performance of its existing analog-based cameras. DMACC stores up to 30 days of continuous surveillance video and monitors the system around-the-clock. The security management team remotely monitors the system from their desktops, laptops, or iPads using Avigilon Control Center Mobile.
Leveraging the advanced management features of Avigilon Control Center software, DMACC can find event details 10 times faster than before. Using Avigilon’s graphic-mapping interface, the College can view footage in real time, enhancing the team’s ability to respond quickly and appropriately with up-to-date information. By recommending a system configuration that better met DMACC’s needs, Avigilon met image quality requirements and reduced system costs by 15 percent. With no recurring licensing fees, Avigilon saves the College $12,000 annually. The College uses the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system to resolve liability claims and improve campus traffic flow, especially during the first two weeks of school when student parking becomes a real challenge. DMACC also uses the system to confirm that the campus is being properly maintained, particularly during the winter to ensure proper snow removal and salting.
“Part of Des Moines Area Community College’s long-term program to provide the safest campus experience possible includes the deployment of high-definition video surveillance solutions,” said Keith Marett, vice-president of marketing and communications at Avigilon. “With its superior image quality, advanced management features, and user-friendly interface, the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system has become a strategic tool to dramatically reduce crime.”
City surveillance to be fastest growing vertical market in India
According to a new report from IMS Research, city surveillance will be the fastest growing vertical market over the next five years in India.
The report, “The Indian Market for CCTV and Video Surveillance Equipment,” attributes the growth in the market to the country placing a higher priority on surveillance technology following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
The research firm said that CCTV solutions were recently deployed as part of city surveillance projects in Bangalore and Kolkata and more projects are planned for cities across the country in the future.
“Planned city surveillance projects have received lots of press coverage due to their size. Five thousand cameras are planned for Mumbai alone,” Jon Cropley, principal analyst from IMS Research. “However, suppliers should not overlook the fact that many other vertical markets will grow quickly. For example, video surveillance revenues for Indian airports are forecast to almost quadruple between 2011 and 2016.”
Solar Installations in the U.S. More Than Doubled in 2011
The U.S. solar industry is gaining some serious ground, according to a new industry report charting a recent spike in solar installations. While big bankruptcies — such as government-backed Solyndra‘s – have grabbed the headlines, the solar industry enjoyed a record-breaking year last year. The new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research noted that the number of photovoltaic installations more than doubled from 2010 to 2011.
New solar panels that were installed in the US in 2011 produced 1,855 megawatts, up from 887 megawatts in 2010 — a 109 percent increase nationwide. That brings the nation’s total solar output to more than 4,400 megawatts, or the equivalent of roughly four nuclear power plants. California led all states with 542 megawatts, which accounts for 29 percent of all installations in the country, with New Jersey, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado rounding out the top five.
The banner year was partly fueled by a sharp reduction in the price of solar panels, which dropped by more than 50 percent last year.
