Milestone IP Camera Software 'Video Enables' a Popular Virginia Business Complex from Start to Finish

BEAVERTON, Oregon – 28 August 2008. Lord and Company Technologies has implemented Milestone XProtect™ Professional IP camera software and easily upgraded to XProtect Enterprise as a central operational monitoring interface for the Madison Crescent complex.

Located in Gainesville, Virginia, Madison Crescent is a 43-acre, mixed-use village providing residential, retail and office opportunities within a unique community environment. From the key intersection here of James Madison Highway (Rt. 15) and Lee Highway (Rt. 29), there is direct access to the dynamic Washington, DC market. This is a place where people can live, work, shop and enjoy a safe, comfortable and convenient lifestyle — all in a region that is one of the fastest growing in the country.

Madison Crescent is using the surveillance to protect their investment, ensuring a clean and safe environment for current and future workers, shoppers and residents to enjoy. Along with the crime deterrent factor, the Milestone IP video management system is used as a business tool to avoid traffic congestion, check after-hours cleaning crews, and monitor weather maintenance (making sure the parking lot has been plowed after snow or ensuring timeliness and cleanliness of street sweepers).

Developer Scott Olmsted works over 27 miles from the project site of Madison Crescent. He needed a surveillance system that could do much more than simply record activities in an elevator and at a front door. He needed high-resolution Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras that he could access remotely to monitor building progress and general safety regulations by the crews.

"Our headquarters is over 60 miles away from the project site, and traffic in [Washington] DC can be a nightmare. With the Milestone software we can view, record and control the cameras for a more efficient way of doing business," says William McClain, Director of Property Management, CRC Commercial, who manage the Madison Crescent complex.

The developer was intrigued with the idea of using 360° technology to monitor the property. Lord & Company Technologies set up the Milestone IP camera software in both the building and the respective offices of Olmsted and McClain. The preliminary set-up includes a mix of cameras, one recessed with the 360° technology, and the others are domes: a Sanyo VDC-DP7584 Pan Focus Dome camera and a Panasonic PTZ roof camera, in conjunction with a Verint video encoder and an HP server.

Daniel McKinney of Lord & Company Technologies explains: "It was an easy sell to the developers with Milestone offering everything they asked for. Being an IP-based management system it ensures that the customer can place the PTZ cameras almost anywhere. They loved the fact that Milestone was able to record on motion detection, thus saving them storage and money in the process. Another feature that sold them was being able to track in real-time while archiving. There was concern expressed that the system would be too complicated to figure out, but they figured it out on their own."

Those who control the Milestone software have said they cannot believe such a sophisticated system is so easy to use.

"The open platform system that Milestone XProtect offers immediately makes the system more sophisticated because we are able to choose any camera we want for the install. We are not trapped using one type of camera that can be dated as soon as next year," says McClain. He goes on to explain that Madison Crescent has a professional office building that is constantly expanding and the last thing he wanted to worry about was the cost of the surveillance system.

"Lord and Co. Tech. was instrumental in the installation and setting up the proper storage. They definitely pointed me to the right solution because we can scale as the building population grows," explains McClain.

About Lord & Company Technologies

Lord & Company was founded in 1982 as an engineering, technical services and systems integration company. Over its 26 year history, the company has specialized in industrial automation, wireless communications, electronic security and intelligent video surveillance for both commercial and government clients. Lord & Company Technologies (L&CT) is an independent affiliate of Lord & Company, focusing on video surveillance and wireless communications. The company is headquartered in Manassas, Virginia with other divisional and sales offices in Hampton, VA; Raleigh-Durham, NC and Fort Mill, SC. L&CT is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, and is a licensed Private Securities Provider VA DCJS # 11-4808. Much of the company's work over the years has been in the mid-Atlantic region. However, it has completed projects in California, Colorado, and Puerto Rico, and it is currently under an IDIQ contract with the U. S. Department of State for overseas projects. www.lordcotech.com

About Milestone

Milestone Systems is a global thought leader and developer of open platform IP camera software. The XProtect™ platform is easy to use, robust and proven in more than 35,000 customer installations around the world. With support for the industry's widest choice in network hardware and seamless integration with other systems, XProtect provides best-of-breed solutions to "video enable" businesses, organizations and institutions - reducing costs, optimizing processes, and protecting assets. Milestone software is sold through authorized partners in 90 countries.

Choosing the Right IP Camera Software

When it comes to IP video surveillance, the IP cameras themselves are only part of the picture. Beyond the physical cameras is the IP camera software you use to monitor and record video. Oftentimes cameras will not come with this software included, and it will be up to you to pick the right software for your needs.

IP Camera Software Features

One of the major things to look at when choosing software for your IP camera software is the features included with that camera. Take some time to think about what exactly you want your software to do. If you want nothing more than for video to be recorded to look at later, then just about any piece of IP software will do. However, if you are looking for something more advanced you will find there are many options.

Many pieces of IP camera software come with a variety of features. For example, oftentimes they come with advanced video analytics such as motion detection, object recognition, even facial recognition. The software can then be programmed to do things such as send out notifications or alerts should an intrusion happen via e-mail, text or other signal. Software can also be programmed to only record, for example, upon motion detection.

Make a list of the things you would like your IP camera software to do, then look for a piece of software that has the features which will make these things happen. This is your first step in choosing the piece of software that is right for your security system.

Give the Software a Try

Like most software these days, it is often possible to download a free demo of IP camera software from a company’s web site. Generally these demos will be limited either in features or in the time you are able to use them. Such demos are an excellent way of getting a taste of exactly what the software is like and what it can do.

Gauge the demo software on whether or not it provides the functions you are looking for. Also look at how easy it was to install as well as how easy to use. Every person is different and will find different pieces of software easier or more difficult to use depending on their own skills and expectations.

Perform tests on all the different features that led you to choose this software in the first place. If all goes well in these tests, most likely you have the right piece of software in your hands.

Checking Out the Company and the Software

Before making the final purchase, however, you should try to find out more about the company and the software. Look for reviews of the software as well as of the company itself. You might find that even though the software looks good, there might be hidden problems such as poor technical support, or bugs which don’t appear in the system until it has been in use for a little while and are difficult to remove. Reading the opinions of others who have used the software and worked with the company can give you a lot of information on whether or not this is the right piece of IP camera software for you.

StarDot Megapixel IP Cameras Integrated with Milestone IP Camera Software

COPENHAGEN - Aug 25, 2008. StarDot's line of NetCam SC high definition megapixel IP cameras is now supported by the Milestone XProtect™ IP camera software. StarDot Technologies, a California-based designer and manufacturer of network video hardware, is an official Manufacturer Alliance Partner of Milestone Systems, a world leading developer of true open platform IP video management software.

Milestone's integration of the NetCam SC cameras provides value to customers by giving them significantly more visual data than a standard IP or CCTV camera. The combination of StarDot and Milestone provides a powerful solution for capturing detailed video of faces, license plates and monetary transactions.

A particularly strong need for high definition video is coming from the homeland security sector, and megapixel IP cameras are also a popular choice for banking, transportation and retail applications. StarDot's always-on hybrid functionality eases the transition from the analog world of CCTV cameras to the digital world of IP cameras.

"We're excited to have our megapixel technology supported by the Milestone platform," says Vance Kozik, product manager for StarDot, "The XProtect software provides an,easy-to-manage interface to our cameras, including digital pan/tilt/zoom functionality, which allows a single megapixel camera to replace several traditional CCTV cameras."

"Milestone is very pleased to cooperate with StarDot. The Milestone software platform and the 5 megapixel StarDot camera is a very compelling combination, satisfying customers' demands for high resolution images at fast frame rates, with powerful and sophisticated features," adds Henrik Friborg, VP Strategic Alliances, Co-Founder, Milestone Systems.

About StarDot Technologies

StarDot Technologies is a designer and manufacturer of IP video solutions and has built a reputation on image quality, ease of use and reliability. The NetCam SC security line is sold though US and international distributors and resellers in the security industry. StarDot provides solutions to a wide variety of organizations, including the FAA, NOAA, NASA, Starwood and NavCanada. The business sector includes security, tourism, construction, education and government. www.stardot.com

About Milestone

Milestone Systems is a global thought leader and developer of open platform IP camera software. The XProtect™ platform is easy to use, robust and proven in more than 35,000 customer installations around the world. With support for the industry's widest choice in network hardware and seamless integration with other systems, XProtect provides best-of-breed solutions to "video enable" businesses, organizations and institutions - reducing costs, optimizing processes, and protecting assets. Milestone software is sold through authorized partners in 90 countries.

Netto Supermarkets Fight Theft with Milestone IP Camera Software

COPENHAGEN - 27 August 2008. With the newest technology in surveillance, the value-priced supermarket chain Netto is winning the retail battle against robberies, theft and shrinkage in its Swedish stores. The solution is network cameras with IP video management software from Milestone Systems.

Netto supermarkets had used traditional analog technology since 2001, where images taken by surveillance cameras were stored on videotapes - unlike today's digital surveillance archived on a computer, which is more flexible and much easier to operate. In 2007, because of the many robberies, thefts and steadily increasing shrinkage in their 84 Swedish locations, Netto decided to take a closer look at the latest technological advances for surveillance.

"We could see that the future without a doubt lies with IP camera software for video surveillance management. This is where there is constant development and innovation with new ideas - and we've already seen big improvements in the quality of our surveillance,” says Mads Bering, Security Chief at Netto.

Throughout his collaborations of many years with security partner MKS, Netto learned about Milestone Systems software: as of August 2008 Netto has implemented their IP video platform in 54 of its Swedish stores. The goal is to continue expanding the solution to include all of the Swedish Netto sites.

"When customers come into our Swedish Netto locations, the first thing they see is a screen where they can view themselves walking into the supermarket. There's no doubt that the surveillance has a preventive effect, thereby reducing not only the number of thefts in our stores, but also ensuring better safety for our employees against robberies," states Bering.

Easy-to-manage software with network cameras

Each Netto store has 12 megapixel cameras from Axis Communications and some network cameras from Sony; two at the registers, one in the storage area, one in the administration office and multiple cameras set up around the supermarket. All of the cameras are controlled by the Milestone XProtect Enterprise IP video management software, which archives up to 30 images per second for up to 30 days. The software interface also provides Swedish menus that make it easy to manage and operate in this country.

Via the software, Netto's headquarters also has remote access to all the video, live or recorded, which makes it possible to very quickly search and find any sequence of images, and export them to a DVD or USB stick. In this way, the police can have important evidence material - fast - in cases of theft or robbery.

Notable savings with networked digital surveillance

By converting the traditional analog surveillance approach to IP video, Netto has already achieved noticeable savings. Relevant images can be accessed centrally from all the locations' cameras via the Milestone software interface, so Netto does not have to use unnecessary resources physically travelling to the individual stores.

In addition, the Milestone IP video management solution requires only minimal central administration, which is a big advantage for a supermarket chain the size of Netto.

About Netto

The first Netto supermarket opened its doors in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1981 and today has over a thousand stores across Europe in Germany, Sweden, Poland, Britain and Denmark. Netto is owned by Dansk Supermarked Group which is in turn owned by A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group, a vast £3 billion company covering everything from oil tankers, logistics and distribution to retailing. Few supermarkets can rival Netto's buying power and financial backing which means consistent delivery of fantastic quality at great value prices. www.netto.dk

About Milestone

Milestone Systems is a global thought leader and developer of open platform IP camera software. The XProtect™ platform is easy to use, robust and proven in more than 35,000 customer installations around the world. With support for the industry's widest choice in network hardware and seamless integration with other systems, XProtect provides best-of-breed solutions to "video enable” businesses, organizations and institutions - reducing costs, optimizing processes, and protecting assets. Milestone software is sold through authorized partners in 90 countries.

What to Look For in an IP Camera Enclosure

IP camera enclosures help keep your IP camera safe from the elements of weather and vandals who would destroy the camera at any given chance. This article will discuss what to look for when purchasing an IP camera enclosure.

Enclosure Mounting

IP camera enclosures come with various mounting types. These include pole mounts, wall mounts, ceiling mounts and corner mounts. These different types of mounts allow you to install the enclosure in various environments easily and effectively. Some enclosures are sold with mounts, though some are sold separately. This allows you to use the same enclosure in various different applications by purchasing the necessary mountings for each enclosure installation.

Indoor/Outdoor Enclosures

Sometimes a heavy duty enclosure is not required. For some indoor camera installations, a basic plastic enclosure will do just fine. These types of enclosures are more affordable, but offer minimal protection for the IP camera protecting it from minor damage. If the enclosure will be installed outdoors, there are several other aspects that need to be considered. The following are some concerns when installing an outdoor IP camera enclosure.

Environmental Concerns

One main use of outdoor IP camera enclosures is to protect your IP camera from weather that would destroy the camera if unprotected against the elements of rain, snow, heat and cold. When looking for an outdoor IP camera enclosure, examine what type of weather conditions the enclosure and camera will have to withstand. If the enclosure will be in an open area which would allow rain to fall on the top of the enclosure, be sure to purchase an enclosure that is properly sealed to avoid moisture penetrating inside. You will want to make sure the enclosure offers proper airflow for the camera. A completely sealed enclosure with no airflow could potentially overheat your camera.

Heater and blowers are also common components of enclosures. These allow the temperature and airflow of the enclosure to stay within a suitable range for the IP camera. These are ideal for winter and humid summers. Be sure to find out the temperature range of the heater and blower to make sure it meets the required temperature range of the IP camera itself.

Installation

Some enclosures can be a pain to install. It is wise to read over the installation directions before purchasing the enclosure if possible. Some manufacturers offer downloadable manuals or guides for the enclosure installation. From these you will be able to tell how difficult the enclosure installation will be and it will give you a chance to purchase any additional equipment required for installing the enclosure.

Power requirements will also need to be considered as each enclosure requires different power voltages depending on the features including heaters, blowers, built-in camera power supplies, etc.. You will need to make sure what type of power the IP camera also requires and have separate power running to the camera if needed.

Supported IP Cameras

Not all IP cameras are supported by each enclosure. You will need to make sure your camera is fully supported by the enclosure or the IP camera may not mount correctly inside the enclosure. Some mounts are generic however it still is possible that the IP camera is too large for the enclosure causing the enclosure to not seal correctly.

The majority of enclosure manufacturers offer a Supported IP Camera list that you can check to make sure your IP camera is supported. Be sure to check that no additional mounts are required for the camera to be installed in the enclosure.

Some IP camera manufacturers also offer enclosures for their cameras which have been tested to ensure the camera works correctly in the enclosure.

Vandal and Tamper Resistance

Many enclosures offer vandal resistance and tamper proof screws. These enclosures are designed to provide protection when an intruder may attempt to damage the camera in an effort to prevent video from being recorded . If the IP camera enclosure will be within reaching distance, it would be wise to purchase a vandal proof enclosure that will protect the camera damage. Some enclosure manufacturers also provide results from tests done on the enclosure ranging from baseball bat attacks to .22 calibre bullets.

We hope this article gives you some pointers on what to look for when purchasing an IP camera enclosure. When purchasing your enclosure, be sure to contact Network Webcams (www.networkwebcams.com) as they offer enclosures and accessories from all major IP camera manufacturers, including indoor and outdoor enclosures, brackets and power supplies.

About the Author

http://www.networkwebcams.com specializes in IP Cameras, Network Cameras, Internet Cameras, Video Servers and Networked CCTV Recording Software and solutions. The directors of Network Webcams have been in the network video industry since it first appeared around 1996/97. Their knowledgeable staff can help you find the right IP surveillance product or platform to meet your needs.

Using an IP Network Camera to Monitor Your Home

With security being a topic on most peoples' minds, many wonder what the best way is to monitor their home and belongings. Various security systems exist and using a combined home security system with surveillance cameras can add extra protection against intruders.

IP Network Camera Placement

Choosing the location to install your IP surveillance cameras should be researched and tested. The location should have a broad viewing angle of the area you are looking to monitor. If multiple IP cameras are required to view the whole room, be sure to place them where they don't overlap, however, to catch every aspect of the room.

Lighting is also a concern. The room should have sufficient lighting allowing the IP camera to have a clear vision of what is happening and who is intruding. When purchasing an IP camera for low lit rooms, be sure to check the lux rating. The lower the lux rating of the IP camera, the better picture it will give in low light. If the room is completely dark, purchasing an infrared (IR) sensitive IP camera would be wise as these can work in zero lighting conditions.

Wireless Connectivity

One of the main benefits of IP network cameras, is the ability to have a wireless connection to your home network. Considering wireless networks are very popular nowadays as many people use laptops, it will be easy to also install your wireless IP camera to your existing network. This will also limit the amount of wires running to the camera as it will only require a power cable.

Remote Viewing

Using IP cameras for home security offers the ability to view the cameras remotely from any location using a standard web browser. By configuring your home network to allow remote access to the IP cameras, you can login securely to each camera to view live video and access PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) controls if supported by your camera. This gives you peace of mind knowing everything is safe back home.

Most IP cameras also support motion detection with alerts via email, SMS text messaging or other means. Having this configured on your camera, will give you the added bonus of being alerted when motion is detected. You can then login to the cameras remotely to view what is happening.

Remote Recording

With traditional CCTV (Closed Circuit Television Cameras), video recordings would be taped to a local VCR or DVR (Digital Video Recorder). If the intruder wanted to find the video recording, it would be possible for him to destroy any video evidence if it was located on the premises. Remote recording is possible for IP cameras. There are a few ways of doing this.

Remote PC - By setting up a remote PC at another location with Internet access, you could install IP camera recording software to monitor and record from each IP camera simultaneously. You could do straight 24/7 recording or on motion detection.

IP Camera Hosting Services - Remote Recording services can also be purchased from professional companies that securely record from your IP cameras to a remote secure location. An example of a company that offers these services is Network Webcams.

Outdoor Monitoring

IP surveillance cameras can also be placed outdoors using enclosures. Like indoor cameras, you will want to place them where they can view the entire monitoring area and have access to power and ethernet if required. Outdoor lighting will also be an issue as the camera will require proper lighting. Only certain outdoor IP surveillance cameras support infrared (IR) as most infrared IP cameras will reflect off the glass of the enclosure and give a white image. If infrared is required, purchase an outdoor infrared IP camera that comes with the enclosure attached as this will give the best image considering the enclosure is built for infrared. Another option is to use external IR illuminators which attach to the outside of the enclosure.

Using an IP camera to monitor your home will give you many benefits and the peace of mind knowing your home and belongings are safe. When looking to purchase IP cameras for home security, be sure to check out Network Webcams (www.networkwebcams.com) as they offer a wide range of IP camera products for any type of installation.

About the Author

http://www.networkwebcams.com specializes in IP Cameras, Network Cameras, Internet Cameras, Video Servers and Networked CCTV Recording Software and solutions. The directors of Network Webcams have been in the network video industry since it first appeared around 1996/97. Their knowledgeable staff can help you find the right IP surveillance product or platform to meet your needs.

IP Cameras vs. CCTV Cameras Part Two

In our previous article entitled "IP Cameras vs. CCTV Cameras - Part One," we discuss the advantages of Remote Viewing, Recording to Remote Locations, Wireless Functionality and Motion Detection with Video Analytics. This second article will discuss other advantages that IP cameras have over traditional CCTV cameras.

Compatibility

Most IP camera recording software supports a wide range of IP camera models and manufacturers. This allows you to mix and match IP cameras in your installation to create a custom surveillance solution that fits perfectly for you.

Let's say you wanted to setup three IP surveillance cameras, one viewing a parking lot, one watching your front lobby and another monitoring the rear entrance of your building. You could put three different IP camera models - even manufacturers - in this installation. You could go with an IQEye 755 5.0 MegaPixel IP Camera in the parking lot to monitor vehicles and provide a high quality image to zoom in on license plates. You could put a Wireless AXIS 207W with audio in the front lobby to minimize cabling requirements and to provide audio surveillance. Lastly, you can use a Sony SNC-RZ25N PTZ IP Camera with an outdoor enclosure to monitor the rear entrance and have the ability to pan/tilt/zoom the camera to needed areas.

All three IP cameras can be easily connected to the local network and configured within the IP camera recording software to monitor and record each individual camera.

BNC/Analog Output

Some IP cameras also come with a BNC/Analog output allowing you to connect the camera to your existing CCTV system. This would allow you to connect the IP camera to your DVR recording station and still have a network connection attached allowing for remote viewing and recording to a PC or offsite location. Be sure to verify the IP camera has the ability to send video to both the BNC/Analog output and through the network simultaneously.

PoE Power over Ethernet

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is the ability to power your IP camera and provide network activity via one RJ45 network cable. This provides an easier installation and lower cable installation costs as this eliminates the need for a power cable to be connected to the camera. To take advantage of this technology, make sure your IP camera is PoE compliant. A PoE network router/hub or Midspan will be required to provide power to the camera via the RJ45 network cable. PoE kits are also available which provide power via network cable when you do not have a Midspan or router/hub. One PoE kit will be required per camera and will need to output the correct power requirements (5V, 9V, 12V, etc.).

I/O for Card Readers, Alarms, etc.

IP cameras can easily be added to existing security including card readers, alarms, glass breakers, access control, etc.. The IP camera can be set to receive an input from these devices which can then tell the camera to record video when a specific event is triggered. Outputs can also be set where if the IP camera detects motion, a signal is sent to the alarm to create an audio siren or alert.

Conclusion

We hope Part One and Part Two of "IP Cameras vs. CCTV Cameras" has educated you in the advantages of IP over CCTV. It is best to know what options exists for you before making a purchase so you can effectively monitor your home or business. A wide range of IP products are available so be sure to contact Network Webcams for information on which IP surveillance products would be ideal for your application.

About the Author

http://www.networkwebcams.com specializes in IP Cameras, Network Cameras, Internet Cameras, Video Servers and Networked CCTV Recording Software. The directors of Network Webcams have been in the network video industry since it first appeared around 1996/97. Their knowledgeable staff can help you find the right IP surveillance product or platform to meet your needs.