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CCTV - security and beyond

Here it is - the second CCTV Handbook - and it is packed with useful information on the trends in the world of CCTV, best practice articles and real-life case studies of CCTV implementations.

The evolution of CCTV has been taking place for some 25 years already, moving from fully analog to increasingly digital, but where to from here? Surveillance in South Africa is merely scanning the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but a lot has happened since our last Handbook. The installation of cameras along a stretch of the N1 highway between Pretoria and Johannesburg as part of the NRA Traffic Management CCTV Project, is just one example of CCTV being used not just for security purposes, but in more of a management role, taking us another step en route to surveillance being more part of the public mindset, which, in turn, creates even more scope for surveillance to grow. This is what I mean by the tip of the iceberg and once the general acceptance increases we have no reason not to follow the likes of the UK, with surveillance cameras installed liberally in public places.

In the Trends section of the Handbook we cover this evolution (see 'The evolution - of video surveillance systems'), explain CCTV and its uses and benefits ('The world of CCTV'), look at the technology in CCTV (Efficient IP systems - unite analog with digital', 'IP network technologies' and 'Eye spy with IP - an industry overview of what is in store for IP surveillance systems') and a whole lot more.

Then we have put together some sound advice in the Best Practice section, from selecting the correct equipment for a specific installation ('Selecting equipment: what is the right CCTV equipment for my application?') to an in-depth look at lens selection ('Lens selection') as well as other issues surrounding general CCTV technology and applications.

The case studies we have featured focus on CCTV applications in the mining, residential and entertainment sectors.

If the vibrancy surrounding IP-based CCTV at Securex is anything to go by, this market is set for major growth so fasten your seatbelts, read through the handbook (hang onto it as a reference guide) and brace yourselves ...

Lynne Larsen

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