Wright Surveillance has been doing off-site monitoring of CCTV at its central monitoring station in Port Elizabeth for the past three years. The company is a subsidiary of Wright Holdings and offers a total tailor-made solution to clients, stressing the importance of technology.
The group also offers traditional services such as guarding, access control and CCTV installations via Vikela Security, an empowered company with clients in all major centres of South Africa. The group has been in the security industry since 1993, when Wright Security was formed in Port Elizabeth, founded by former Springbok scrumhalf, Garth Wright and partner Hennie Phillips.
The company was afforded a unique opportunity three years ago when a client suffered heavy losses during two armed robberies. The CCTV cameras recorded various images of the armed thieves, but these were only reviewed the following day as the on-site CCTV controllers had also been tied. At that point in time the Wright Surveillance was researching the hardware options available to facilitate the off-site monitoring service and stumbled across the Adpro product range supplied by CMT Trading.
The Adpro range of remote digital video recording equipment provided the perfect solution to the company's requirements.
The FastTrace can use a variety of communications options, including PSTN, ISDN, GSM, ADSL, satellite and IP links. Various combinations of these options are allowed via the three communication ports provided in the unit.
The system allows video management, transmission and recording, as well as the handling of alarm incidents and data. The flexibility of the unit's configuration provides options such as 5, 10 or 20 channels, one to four 160 GB hard disk drives for greater storage capacity and one to four compression engines for higher frame rates. The high image resolution and audio capabilities added to the attraction of the product.
At the client's site a 'virtual fence' was created with yard beams inside the perimeter electric fence. Cameras were strategically placed to provide a full 'guard tour' of the building and the main gate was motorised and connected to the Adpro FastTrace unit. An intercom was installed at the gate and all late deliveries are announced to the central monitoring station, where a verification process takes place and the gate is opened, all remotely via the Adpro system.
Any breach of the external yard beams will result in an alarm being sent to the central monitoring station and the controller manages the incident or 'event' remotely. Each camera can be linked to any particular 'input' such as a yard beam, PIR detector, magnetic door contact or even another camera and will immediately start recording once the input device is triggered.
The initial focus of Wright Surveillance was to provide a 24x7 off-site CCTV surveillance service and a clientele base including several major corporations has been built up over the past three years. One of the company's blue-chip clients has 50 cameras on site that are being continuously monitored via the central monitoring station.
In the past year the direction has shifted towards the 'events-based' off-site monitoring service and a second central monitoring station is close to completion in Gauteng. This will provide the company with a total disaster recovery option in case either station experiences a total breakdown in operations. A further benefit will be the ability to 'switch' clients from one monitoring station to the other at random, reducing the risk of collusion as on any particular day the controllers will not be aware of which clients they will be monitoring. Operator training is vital to the success of any central control station and continuous inroads are being made in this area.
Wright Surveillance's clients were particularly impressed with the 'image watermarking' which authenticates evidential quality information and digitally watermarks images linked to encrypted event data. The FastTrace's use as a management tool is also critical. Although the CMS assumes control over the system using the Video Central Gold software, the client can access the unit via the Video Central Lite software, which is supplied free with the system. This allows the client's access to the site via their own computers and a simple telephone line. This management tool can be used to manage overtime, monitor events on site and even communicate with staff from anywhere in the world.
The use of off-site central monitoring stations is the norm in most other countries in the world and it looks set to be the next revolution that will hit the local security market. The system integrates easily with and complements any existing manpower-based security solution, providing additional eyes for on-site staff, reducing collusion and the exposure to physical threats. Existing CCTV systems installed on site can easily be integrated into the Adpro unit.
Wright Surveillance also offers a monthly payment option, which includes rental of the system, fully installed as well as maintenance and monitoring. Other extras offered include scheduled virtual guard tours, escorted business opening and closing, key-holder services and point of sale integration at retail outlets, which over-writes the actual transaction onto the video image.
The Adpro FastTrace range of products make it easier for central monitoring stations to perform their duties correctly and is definitely the standard that international companies aspire to.
For more information contact Gary Stephenson, Wright Surveillance, 0861WRIGHT, [email protected]
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