Pinpointing problems
The upgrade to an IP-based surveillance system allows for improved forensics using fewer cameras, according to Dan Ireland, Avigilon’s regional sales director.

“Avigilon qualifies what the scene requirements are to forensic video information,” he says. “If we’re looking at an outdoor parking lot, a single camera with a higher megapixel value can provide the same (picture) as older technology that might takes hundreds of cameras.”

Gilmore says the new equipment drastically reduces the time spent on forensic searches, by allowing for thumbnail, pixel or motion searches.

“Let’s say you have a camera looking at a building with a statue out front,” he explains. “One morning, the statue is gone. You used to have to replay the entire video.” Now, he says, you can program it to show changes in a specific area, and the feed will reveal thumbnail images of exactly where the changes took place.

High-definition (HD) cameras are becoming the new standard in corporate security, according to Rick Ramsay, Avigilon’s product manger in Vancouver.  Ramsay says the government sector has been a strong vertical market for Avigilon since many existing surveillance systems are based on antiquated equipment.

“What’s unique about the control centre software is that it’s tailor-made for HD,” he explains. “Working efficiently with high definition translates into better resolution than analogue.”

In a number of Halifax facilities, security personnel remotely monitor access to municipal buildings in real time. When a door is opened, says Stoddard, it’s much easier to identify if that person is one of HRM’s employees or an intruder.

“We have a number of facilities where we can see who walks through, using their security cards,” he says. “Using Avigilon technology, we can start to see if the picture on the security card matches the picture of the person walking in. A door opens, and the guard can see who is moving through it, and if they’re authorized or if we need to send someone to check on it.”

Gilmore admits there were a few performance issues with the cameras initially, but he and Stoddard worked with Avigilon to resolve them.

“There were a few nagging issues with the cameras; more focus and resolution than anything, and we pushed to get (Avigilon’s) technical people in. It turned out that the problem was manufacturing; some of the cameras were from a bad batch, but that’s pretty much resolved now.”