Mobilizing Your Mobile Video Business
End users are increasingly expecting instantaneous communications anywhere, anytime, including IP-based video surveillance. Accordingly, solutions are being introduced that accommodate this growing market segment, and also simplify system installation and servicing for integrators.
Burnett notes it becomes especially difficult when he is dealing with dome cameras. It’s challenging enough to run a cable from the hard-mounted dome to a test device, but the process is made that much harder while balancing a portable player, LCD monitor or laptop.
The company first used TestMonitor for a job on a business campus, with multiple cameras across two buildings that connect to a centralized, networked IP video system. The team mounted the cameras in advance, and an installer then used the application on an iPad to focus each camera from a bucket truck.
“It was a major timesaver, as opposed to using a radio system to communicate with an installer at the server location 2,000 feet away to confirm settings,” says Burnett. “We also eliminated the time spent connecting and disconnecting wires at each camera. Perhaps most importantly, I could pull up the cameras with this application after we left the site – meaning callbacks can be handled from the field instead of always requiring a return visit. It becomes like any other managed service.”
Burnett notes that MB Technology is collaborating with another company to develop an iPad case tailor-made for systems integrators. The case features a hand strap that is adaptable as a forearm strap, allowing the installer to work with both hands, view the mobile test application and wirelessly test cameras without dropping the iPad.
Scalability, Usability & Bandwidth
Flores expects continued growth for mobile surveillance in the residential space. “All of our clients have smartphones nowadays, and we’re finding that compatibility issues from smartphone to camera and recorder are increasing,” he say
s. “Software solutions like MobileCamViewer that can work across various manufacturers of smartphones, cameras and DVRs are going to become increasingly important.”
He adds that his biggest challenge in terms of compatibility has been with connecting DVRs to Mac-based Apple operating systems. He cites Dedicated Micros as currently offering a solid solution in this space, along with Speco. Exacq Technologies is yet one more of the growing options.
Once his customers find the right mobile surveillance package, Flores works with the customer to ensure as much scalability as possible.
“Cameras are easy to add, so it’s important to install a DVR that can accommodate more cameras in the future,” he says. “It makes more sense to install an eight-camera DVR with four cameras, so the customer can add two cameras without having to trash the four-channel system or network two four-channel DVRs together.”
For his part, although Burnett vouches for Samsung hardware products he is pointing more of his customers toward software-based systems such as Milestone and OnSSI. He notes that Milestone’s software is intuitive, works well with applications like MobileCamViewer, and behaves similar to hardware-based DVRs and NVRs to help with the customer learning curve.
“We are really trying to lean toward software-based solutions, mainly for the fact that most NVRs at this point are rather expensive for limited horsepower,” he says. “It’s worth putting a little more money into a server-based solution, and having the storage and expandability along with much more horsepower.”
Burnett adds that advancements in mobile surveillance have made it possible to rewind, record and otherwise manipulate video — rather than just stoically watch cameras. That ease of use translates well to the surveillance operations his customers usually seek.
“We found that in most cases the end user wants to be able to review video and record it without having to pay for an outside service,” he says. “We have found very few systems that actually make surveillance a painless process for the end user. Companies like Milestone and mobiDEOS have made this a lot easier.”
Burnett contributes a final word of advice to about optimize network video system performance. He stresses the importance of appropriately verifying adequate bandwidth all along the line, from camera to switch, switch to server and so on. Eliminating network bottlenecks to ensure smooth transmission of video information can require replacing hubs with new switches.
“IP systems can be fairly demanding on a network, and you need to make sure that cameras aren’t isolated from the LAN,” says Burnett. “Fighting for space on the network can be a major problem in mobile surveillance, especially if you have HD cameras. Everything should run point-to-point, even if it means added Layer III switches to segment network traffic onto its own VLAN.”
Brian Galante is President of Dimension PR. He can be reached at (570) 425-2315 or [email protected].
5 Tips for Remote IP Video Success
- Confirm DVR/NVR public IP address can be viewed remotely on computers or mobile devices
- Ensure network has capacity to support traffic for IP cameras
- Eliminate network bottlenecks by replacing hubs with new Layer III switches
- Confirm cameras cover proper range of vision before leaving jobsite
- Use mobile test monitor devices to check cameras, both at point of install and from remote locations
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