The firmware release 2.5 features a wide range of enhancements including a new recording scheduler with flexible profile settings, which the company hopes will keep its network CCTV products at the leading edge of surveillance technology.
The recording scheduler provided with the new release allows for up to 10 independent recording profiles to be set up and assigned to individual cameras. In addition, Bosch have added advanced features to its VCA (Video Content Analysis) software, and a higher level of security provided by more advanced encryption techniques.
The technology is designed to be efficient. It is possible, for example, to set up a schedule with specific recording profiles for different time slots during the day, and to assign different schedules to different days of the week. Enhanced onboard intelligence allows pre and post alarm recording modes to be set up. When an alarm is triggered, the cameras monitoring the scene can automatically switch to record at higher resolution and streaming rate to capture more details of the triggering event.
Firmware Release 2.5 also includes a licensable option to enable IVMD 2.0 (Intelligent Video Motion Detection), the latest version of Bosch’s VCA software. IVMD 2.0 offers all the features of the earlier version, including an advanced background learning algorithm.
The algorithm prevents unwanted alarms from, for example, moving branches, clouds, shadows and falling rain or snow, and the ability to adapt to changes in background. The VCA software also offers new features including object identification by aspect and trajectory mapping for detecting suspicious behavior such as loitering.
Bosch also expect the firmware to provide a high level of security with SSL (56-bit DES) encryption for web browsing and for connections to video management systems. The release also provides 802.1x authentication support, enabling the system administrator to authenticate products connected via a wireless network through, for example, a RADIUS server.
More advanced time-server support includes daylight-saving time (with an editable daylight-saving time table) and support for both SNTP and RFC868 time servers.
Firmware Release 2.5 is now available for downloading onto all Bosch IP network video products, including the VIP X1600 encoders and the FlexiDome IP camera series.