IP video has been around for some time now, but many installers and end-users alike still prefer using analogue surveillance.
So why do they remain with this traditional technology? What benefits would switching to IP offer? And how can customers ‘square the circle’ – taking advantage of IP video without the downsides associated with it?
CBC (Europe) manufactures both IP and analogue CCTV systems to cater for all tastes, recognising that the technologies each have their advantages.
Customers specify analogue for reasons including the comfort factor of its tried and tested benefits, such as established high picture quality.
Moreover, those considering IP, particularly for small to medium sized applications such as corner shops, hotel lobbies and sports grounds, often complain about one major issue: how difficult these systems are to set up, especially for installers unused to working with networks.
Plug and play
But IP video doesn’t have to be complicated and time-consuming to install anymore, because ‘plug and play’ IP video is now a reality, removing the obstacles that have hindered IP adoption for SME (small to medium enterprise) applications.
CBC’s solution, called VSoIP GO, is wizard-driven – meaning it will ‘find’ and work with a range of devices such as Ganz IP cameras, without the need for manual network configuration of them. It’s as simple as click, launch and GO.
In the same way that computers evolved to become user-friendly, and not simply the preserve of PC ‘geeks’ used to programming their machines, this system provides a one-box, low-cost and entry level IP video management system
Designed for applications including small to medium-size retailers, car park surveillance, office reception areas and petrol stations/forecourts, VSoIP GO bridges the huge gap in the IP CCTV industry – namely complexity. GO’s IP video solution can view, record and manage up to 16 IP video channels.
It could therefore be a direct IP replacement for single DVR installations, for example.
Intimidation
CBC recognises that many installers are used to the user-friendly benefits of analogue cameras and can understandably feel a little intimidated by network IP addresses and other information usually required when setting up an IP video system.
VSoIP GO removes all that hassle, making the advantages of IP video something they can install without worry.
It also means potential new business opportunities from offering customers the operational advantages that IP delivers. This system is a cost-effective way to provide users with next-generation surveillance technology at analogue system prices.
VSoIP GO allows users to benefit from HD and megapixel cameras, which offer higher resolution images from crisper, clearer pictures, plus the ability to replace a number of cameras with just a single megapixel unit.
Megapixel cameras provide a wide angle of view with the opportunity to digitally zoom in on any part of the scene without any loss of image quality – for example, to read a car number plate in a car park or check the details of a cash till transaction in a retail store, in both real-time and when reviewing recorded footage.
Cost savings?
At a sports ground, for instance, a megapixel camera could prove an alternative to perhaps 12 conventional CCTV cameras placed around eg a football stadium to provide equivalent coverage – offering significant cost savings to the customer in terms of equipment costs, transmission requirements and recording arrangements.
Linked up to a VSoIP GO system, with its onboard network video recorder (NVR), this equipment pairing provides significant installation and operating advantages – all told, an attractive and cost-effective proposition to the customer.
VSoIP GO also comes pre-installed with an innovative ‘TeamViewer’ feature which allows engineers/technicians to remotely connect to a VSoIP GO unit from anywhere in the world, within just a few seconds.
This enables installation and configuration of the device to be supported remotely, without the sometimes expensive and time-consuming need to visit the site for this purpose.
VSoIP GO has been designed and developed on an embedded architecture, with the unit providing a Client, NVR and Server application in the same physical unit.
The aesthetically pleasing case means it can be left on table tops, rather than complicated rack systems where traditional IP CCTV systems reside.
