Page 28 - Security Today, May 2017

OPEN PLATFORM
RAPID GROWTH Millions IP cameras shipped globally in 2016
By Mansoor Tariq
According to IHS, last year an estimated 66 million network cameras were shipped globally, which led to a 48 percent in- crease in the raw capacity of enterprise storage for video surveillance. The video surveillance market is growing rapidly and
this growth can be attributed to many factors, including the growing awareness for the need to improve safety and se- curity around the world. This is forcing governments and organizations to take a proactive approach toward video surveillance.
Additionally, improved technologies such as better camera resolution and more advanced and accurate analytics is mak- ing video surveillance attractive to a growing number of clients. Companies are also applying video surveillance technologies to improve business efficiencies, whether it’s in logistics, smart cit- ies, retail or countless other markets. The evolution of the video surveillance industry, which has spurred these technological innovations, can be attributed to the industry’s move towards IT. However, the IT industry is not moving towards video sur- veillance at the same rate, which presents challenges to security professionals.
The Importance of Purpose-Built Solutions
Many of the traditional CCTV systems across the world are analog systems that transmit an analog video signal over co- axial cable back to a video recorder, such as a DVR or monitor. For several years, the video surveillance industry has been mak- ing the transition to IP solutions, which means that a digital camera sends data via a computer network. IP solutions allow for better picture quality, greater flexibility and scalability, and the use of video analytics. This transition to IP has fundamen- tally changed how security systems are conceived, designed and deployed.
This fundamental change means that security professionals are now embracing network equipment in their projects. How- ever, they’re regularly using infrastructure built for IT as part of their security system. This can be attributed to some IT com- panies failing to offer surveillance-specific solutions and simply providing their IT offerings to security professionals. However, this can cause massive headaches when these solutions underper- form. By selecting purpose-built infrastructure, such as storage and servers, security professionals can leverage solutions that are specifically designed to perform optimally in a write-intensive
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video surveillance environment with surveillance-specific features that optimize the read/write process during operation.
When using servers and storage for IT in video surveillance, frame dropping and security leaks (gaps in the recording) become real threats –and this can have serious consequences. Higher reso- lution cameras and longer retention periods place an even greater burden on IT infrastructure and increase the chances of dropped frames. In these situations, having purpose-built solutions for video surveillance becomes absolutely imperative.
Promise Technology develops purpose-built NVRs and stor- age solutions that include a suite of proprietary features called SmartBoost Technologies. These unique features are designed specifically for video surveillance applications and enable them to overcome performance bottlenecks and handle a much higher number of IP cameras than competing solutions.
Education for IT and
Security Professionals
The move toward IP video surveillance and understanding the importance of deploying purpose-built solutions relates closely to the growing need for education and training amongst IT and security professionals.
Many security professionals have been in the industry for decades and have developed extensive knowledge around ana- log systems, but now they must understand all of the effects of the industry’s move towards IP. With analog solutions there was no need to calculate bandwidth and data as they were of- ten plug-and-play. Alternatively, in IP solutions, everything is dynamic.
This means that project design process is crucial. This can re- ally only be done properly after the security professional has un- dergone certified training and education on all key components in a security system. Certified hands-on training is essential. The big- ger the project, the bigger the impact and consequences are when dealing with such a large number of cameras, data and storage.
Promise hosts free video surveillance certified training courses around the world to equip security professionals with the skills and expertise they need to design, install, configure and maintain the optimal security solution for their customers.
The First Step Forward
The video surveillance industry is incredibly dynamic and this presents challenges to security professionals. The first step in over- coming these challenges can be delivered through certified training programs and by utilizing purpose-built IT infrastructure.
Mansoor Tariq is a presales engineer at Promise Technology. 0517 | NETWORKING SECURITY