The focus of digital video management systems has typically been the `box' - the digital video recorder. Digital video recorders have historically consisted of proprietary hardware with proprietary, closed architecture. But with the rapid evolution of computers and the myriad of technologies it has spawned, tech-aware users have come to realise what is possible, and they want the same amount of power and flexibility in a video management solution. Specifically, today's business users want solutions rather than boxes, they want open systems not proprietary architecture, and they want a low cost of ownership, not support headaches.
Digital video continues to be an area of significant technological innovation, and Lenel Systems International takes pride in transforming that innovation into a reality. Lenel's OnGuard VideoManager is not just a video recording system, but an advanced, event-driven, digital video surveillance and management solution, offering the flexibility and features required by today's business customers. The system is available as either a hardware-based Lenel Digital Video Recorder solution, or a software-based Lenel Network Video Recorder solution. Both configurations can be deployed as either a standalone digital video management system, or seamlessly integrated with access control, identity management, intrusion detection and other application modules, to create a total security management solution. When OnGuard VideoManager is implemented within a total security environment, it offers a complete picture of what happens, where, to whom and when within the enterprise, and provides the most powerful investigative experience available today.
Centralised administration, management and database design are hallmarks of the OnGuard solutions portfolio. The entire system - both hardware and software - can be configured, managed, monitored and reported on from a single administrative workstation, reducing total cost of ownership and simplifying training, administration and maintenance.
Lenel digital video recorder (LDVR) is Lenel's digital video recorder for CCTV cameras. LDVR produces the highest image quality available, recording video at up to 30 frames per second and with up to DVD-quality resolution. LDVR offers up to 3,2 Terabytes of online (local) storage. Both the industry-preferred MPEG-4 and the MPEG-1 digital video compression standards are supported. Compression reduces the amount of video information that is actually stored, which allows more video to be retained online before archiving is required. If archiving is required, LDVR can archive video information from multiple video recorders to a single, centralised location on the network, thereby streamlining the process.
Lenel network video recorder (LNVR) is Lenel's digital video recorder for IP cameras or encoders. This cutting-edge solution is the only software platform available today that allows security managers to choose the camera hardware and the network recorder computer that best suit the needs of their unique environment. This enables the customer to implement VideoManager within the existing corporate network infrastructure, if desired. LNVR also supports industry DAS, SAN and NAS storage technologies, and can utilise any compliant local and/or network storage media that the customer has. The LNVR system architecture permits IP cameras to be placed anywhere that there is an Ethernet network drop. This eliminates the distance limitations that are associated with analog cable runs between the cameras and digital video recorder. LNVR supports the use of analog cameras as well, for those customers who wish to preserve and leverage their existing analog camera infrastructure investment. Lenel's ongoing commitment to open architecture is reflected in the hardware independence and flexibility that are built into the LNVR solution.
Technology giant Cisco Systems selected the Lenel OnGuard VideoManager LNVR solution to meet its global digital video management requirements. One of the largest digital video management systems in the world, the Cisco Systems deployment currently has 190 LNVR servers and nearly 3000 video cameras installed and operating worldwide.
Intelligent analysis of video information
The newest addition to Lenel's digital video portfolio is OnGuard IntelligentVideo, which goes beyond video surveillance and management to deliver automated, digital video content analysis in realtime. The product is alert-based. Events are predefined to suit the customer's environment. Then, whenever those events occur, an IntelligentVideo Server processes that information and alarms are generated.
The system is also used for forensic-style searching of recorded video. Recorded video is processed using the defined events. For each event detected, a thumbnail image is created, enabling the system operator to browse through the events easily. A single stream of video for live detection can be processed by the IntelligentVideo Server, while recorded video is searched simultaneously in the OnGuard alarm monitoring module.
With intelligent object analysis, recognition and classification of information (objects) in live and captured video, the ability of a system to automatically immediately respond to real threats has become much more of a reality.
The system architecture (see diagram) offers even greater flexibility by permitting creation of a seamlessly integrated security environment that includes LDVRs, LNVRs and an IntelligentVideo Server. In such an installation, the LDVRs provide backward compatibility and allow retrofitting of analog cameras. The LNVRs provide newer network-based digital video functionality. The IntelligentVideo Server processes video from the LNVRs and/or the LDVRs, generates events and transmits them in realtime to alarm monitoring workstations, as well as to the OnGuard Security Server for storage in a centralised database, and all events can be monitored.
The increasing importance of security to both businesses and government entities has necessitated an even greater level of integration and information sharing among systems that previously were not part of the security picture. As a result, digital video has become a mission-critical consideration for many organisations. Digital video systems based on proprietary DVR hardware no longer serve the needs of today's businesses, and are quickly becoming relics.
For more information contact Phil Mailes, Lenel, 0944 148 381 5234, phil@lenel.com, www.lenel.com
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