Wireless IP technology from Bosch Security Systems (BSS) installed by Central Security Systems (CSS), a leading specialist in local authority CCTV solutions, is proving a winning combination for Gedling Borough Council in protecting local residents from petty and serious crime as part of a much wider crime and disorder partnership initiative.
Four town centres - Arnold, Mapperley, Carlton and Netherfield - will be making maximum use of some of the latest camera, encoder, recording and video management hardware and software from Bosch's proven CCTV product range, as Chris Lazzari, director of CSS explains:
"We chose Bosch because of the quality and reliability of its products, notably the high resolution images from its cameras, even over IP, and the quality of its streaming. Being wireless means no hard wiring was required, making installation much easier but without sacrificing quality. Single sourcing also made sense, and the level of support from Bosch, especially with the commissioning process, has been excellent."
Amongst the cameras installed is a mixture of 14 Bosch domes (from its AutoDome range) and fixed Dinion IPs. Images are transmitted over wireless IP back to a central monitoring station with 8TB of storage, making maximum use of Bosch's VIP-X IP encoders and VIDOS IP video management software.
Kevin Nealon of Gedling Borough Council says: "We wanted a town centre CCTV system that was reliable, relatively low cost but very high quality, and that could be linked in with other parts of the Borough. Bosch's equipment gives us the ability to do this. Our vision is that the system will ultimately become the hub for a whole range of other agencies including the Neighbourhood Wardens, Police, Police Community Support Officers and the Fire and Rescue Service etc, in line with our commitment for a Borough that is healthy, safe, clean and green."
Rugged in design and ideally suited for outdoor applications, Bosch's AutoDome range utilises advanced 15-bit imaging technology, already proven in its Dinion cameras, to exploit the full potential of today's imaging chips. With their 540 TV-line resolution, AutoDome cameras are able to produce extremely sharp and detailed images and handle difficult lighting conditions, including an Auto Black feature to counteract the effects of fog or glare, NightSense to compensate for fading light, and backlight compensation to ensure clear images when viewing entrances. They also feature its innovative motion tracking capability AutoTrack.
Bosch's Dinion IP features an integrated IP network connection, combining all the benefits and reliability of the Dinion range with a network video server that transmits video and control data over an IP network, which means that images can be transmitted to several receivers simultaneously. Dinion IP cameras have tri-streaming technology: dual MPEG-4 and JPEG compression modes simultaneously allow a dedicated stream at one frame rate for recording and a different stream for live viewing, while JPEGS can be streamed to other devices such as a PDA.
With an Ethernet connection and analogue BNC output, Dinion IP cameras offer a hybrid solution as they can be connected to existing analogue CCTV equipment, whilst offering the additional flexibility and scalability of IP-based CCTV systems. Installation is straightforward and they are easy to configure via the IP network.
In this installation for Gedling Borough Council, both the dome cameras and the fixed Dinion IP cameras are integrated into Bosch's VIDOS Video Management System that affords monitoring station operators total control of all of the cameras installed across the two town centres of Arnold and Netherfield, (with Mapperley and Carlton town centres to follow in the near future), as well as the Bosch LCD monitors and recorders within the monitoring hub.
VIDOS is a powerful, flexible and scalable client-server software suite for medium to large CCTV installations. A central configuration allows smooth upgrading and expansion simply by adding more cameras, encoders or workstations. Central or remote management and control brings various user authorisation levels, and allows privilege allocations for cameras, monitors and alarms. It determines priorities for camera PTZ control, image viewing, recording and playback.
The PC software uses graphical maps (sitemaps) for fast and intuitive user operation to manage all components in a CCTV system. A system administrator can use VIDOS to set up and configure the system by automatically scanning the network for compatible devices. This is performed while simultaneously monitoring the status of key components.
The installation also utilises Bosch's VIP-X encoders to bring improved quality and enhanced functionality to network-based video surveillance. Thanks to advanced bandwidth-efficient MPEG-4 technology, VIP-X encoders give DVD-like image quality with high resolution and fast frame rates.
