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Controlling crime remotely

Major UK builders' merchant group selects Adpro solution to manage CCTV footage from 241 retail sites from one single video control room.

With the rise in vandalism, theft and false alarm call outs across its UK retail sites, Travis Perkins needed to improve the way its CCTV video footage was handled. The first requirement was to find a CCTV monitoring system that could control and manage footage from 241 retail outlets from a single control room. Secondly, Travis Perkins wanted an integrated system that featured alarm handling, recording, as well as instant voice response technology to address intruders remotely over a network connection. Finally, the new CCTV system had to be compliant to the new Security Standard BS8418. This standard is the first British standard to cover the installation and remote monitoring of detector activated CCTV systems. It specifies best practice installation and monitoring, and has recently been adopted by the UK police as a mandatory requirement for rapid response as well as gaining momentum in the British insurance industry.

Bob Marsh, assistant to the CCTV manager at Travis Perkins, comments, "We needed a multisite CCTV monitoring solution with a proven track record in protecting remote sites as well as providing perimeter protection and alarm verification. We also recognised the need for it to be compliant to the new BS8418 standard."

Following extensive research and testing of available products on the market, Travis Perkins selected Vision Systems' award-winning Adpro FastTrace solution, installed by system integrators Clear Image, Onwatch and Quadrant. The Adpro system is designed specifically with remote video monitoring in mind, and offers management and control features such as access control, perimeter protection, and alarm verification. The system also has advanced voice capabilities, allowing staff at the central video control room to speak directly to intruders over a Wide Area Network (WAN).

Says Marsh, "We found the Adpro system to be the best remote monitoring solution available on the market. Not only did Adpro FastTrace have all the features we were looking for, but it is also compliant to the new BS8418 standard."

Following successful trials, the Adpro solution has so far been rolled out to 130 regional Travis Perkins branches. These are fully operational and monitored centrally in one single control room.

Commenting on the installation, Marsh says: "The system is incredibly easy to install, requiring only half a day before beginning operation. We also discovered that the WAN technology built into the Adpro products offers several key benefits over other traditional solutions, including protocols and chip sets that create a secure network, essential in preventing hackers from accessing confidential video footage."

The Travis Perkins Group envisages that it will easily recoup the investment in the Adpro FastTrace product by virtue of cutting down on the considerable costs associated with manual surveillance processes. For example, the company no longer has to invest large sums of money in analog videotape, and they were able to make even further savings by using an existing WAN network without paying any additional telecommunications line rentals.

"Aside from cost savings, we have made major inroads when it comes to preventing vandalism, robberies and theft. The Adpro FastTrace solution provides us with more functionality when it comes to handling alarms, which in turn has resulted in a marked decrease in security related incidents across our retail sites. It also provides excellent alarm verification functionality that significantly reduces false alarms and call outs," says Marsh.

By integrating the overall system into one single control room, Travis Perkins currently has access to high resolution, evidential quality images 24/7.

Adpro products are distributed locally by CMT Trading.

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