IndigoVision's IP-Video technology is at the heart of a new integrated security system for Glasgow's museums and leisure centers. Housed in 17 different buildings throughout the city, 'Glasgow Museums' is the UK's largest local authority museums service. Systems Integrator, Visual Management Systems (VMS) teamed up with IndigoVision to develop an IP-based system that could integrate all sites to one central control room.
The problem was how to centralize and integrate the existing security and CCTV systems which were unique to each site. A traditional cabled or fibred solution would have been too costly as the museums are up to 10 miles away from the new control centre at Blochairn. An IP-Network was the only viable solution.
Each site uses a traditional Ultrak-based analogue video system, which can operate independently. IndigoVision's 8000 transmitter/receiver units are used to convert video trunk feeds from each of the local Ultrak matrices to high-quality MPEG-4 digital video. This is then transmitted to the control centre via 100mb/s WAN links provided by THUS plc, Glasgow City Council's network partner. Other alarm and control data from the intruder, access control and fire systems are also transmitted on the IP-network, alongside the digital video. Video is recorded locally at each site but all recordings can be accessed from the control centre via the IP-Network.
IndigoVision's unique compression technology allows live 25 fps video from all sites to be transmitted around the network with minimal impact on the available bandwidth – this allows other facilities such as IT systems and Voice-over-IP to share the network.
VMS used their own 'Titan Vision' system in the control room to provide the central monitoring and recording facilities and alarm management. IndigoVision's 8000 Software Development Kit (SDK) was used to integrate the IP-video into the 'Titan Vision' system. The SDK allows system integrators to easily implement digital video solutions and to access the many benefits of IP-Video technology. The seamless integration of all the systems allows high levels of automation. For example, when an alarm is received from a site, video from that area is automatically displayed on monitors and also separate map screens allowing multiple perspectives on any suspicious activity instantly.
