March Networks announced this week that its VideoSphere video management system has been selected by the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) to help expand their surveillance network and provide centralized storage and management of IP video across the authority’s North-South and East-West transit network.
SMRT, which operates the country’s transit network, will deploy VideoSphere software, as well as hybrid video encoding platforms and health management software to support the installation of additional CCTV cameras in 51 train stations located across the nation.
According to Peter Wilenius, vice president of global marketing for March Networks, the company initially deployed its network video recording technology, which encompassed about 2,000 cameras, for SMRT several years back. As the transit system has expanded, however, SMRT has moved to nearly triple the size of its surveillance network, covering all of the LTA’s facilities.
"(VideoSphere) integrates not only the video that is being archived from those network video recorders that we deployed four years ago, but as well as new systems we’re deploying today all in one integrated system," he said. "I think a fundamental challenge (of a project such as this) is ensuring that you’re enabling the customer to migrate a legacy technology base and adopt new technologies without leaving the old system behind, without requiring any significant upgrades or reconfigurations of the system."
Though the LTA’s integrated surveillance network only currently applies to fixed cameras in transit stations and other infrastructure facilities, Wilenius added that he believed that it could eventually extend into mobile platforms.
"Ultimately, we see that’s the direction the industry’s going," he said. "SMRT could very well be managing and monitoring every camera in their infrastructure, whether it’s a moving vehicle or a subway platform in a completely integrated system."
