Video Surveillance As A Service (VSaaS): The Basics
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 | Posted by Farah at 03:26 PM
VSaaS or hosted video surveillance is a growing trend in the video surveillance space. And with good reason. With the benefit of rapid deployment, cost savings and the ability to quickly expand, no wonder IMS Research predicts that it will be one of the biggest trends driving growth in the video marketplace. Read the basics of VSaaS and then find out how Pivot3 partnered with Salient Systems to offer a hosted video solution providing recurring monthly revenue opportunities for security resellers. This also provides an opportunity for small- and medium- sized companies to enjoy the benefits of IP technology. A Pivot3 and Salient Systems hosted video solution offers end users with a cost-effective, scalable solution that provides failover to protect both storage and VMS applications in the event of a failure. Read the Pivot3 press release for details.
Monday, November 01, 2010 | Posted by Farah at 12:28 PM
Salient is proud to announce that we have achieved gold status in the Axis Development Partner (ADP) program. This program aligns the best-in-class security and video surveillance systems available in the market with Axis Communications products to deliver leading edge security solutions to end user customers. Read the press release to see how Salient and Axis teamed up with InHouse Systems (a certified Salient reseller) to provide Acer Computer with the best available technologies to meet Acer’s security needs.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 | Posted by Brian Carle at 08:29 AM
Rapid adoption of CompleteView, the premier analog, IP and hybrid Video Management System, has created several openings at Salient. If you're looking for new career challenges and growth within the video security industry, please check out our Careers section. You can apply to one of the jobs posted, or submit your resume to info@salientsys.com.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 | Posted by Brian Carle at 07:04 AM
CompleteView version 3.5.2 is now available. Version 3.5.2 adds integration with the S2 NetBox access control platform. View the Press Release. Here are some screen shots of the NetBox & CompleteView integration.
CompleteView's S2 NetBox integration provides the ability to view live video and recordings from CompleteView servers directly in the NetBox interface. Also, recordings in CompleteView can be triggered by events from the S2 NetBox.
Recordings initiated by the NetBox are immediately associated to the corresponding event in the NetBox interface. For example, someone opening a door controlled by the NetBox can trigger recording on an associated camera in CompleteView. The recorded clip then gets associated to the event in the NetBox interface, so when the event is clicked the recording form CompleteView begins playing back.
Customers of version 3.X software and customers on Salient’s Yearly Upgrade Plan can receive the release at no cost. Details of the integration can be found on the Release Summary page.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 | Posted by Brian Carle at 03:12 PM
Use CompleteView's Automated Attendant feature to get high-resolution detailed evidence using your PTZ cameras. Automated Attendant is also used to survey large areas with fewer cameras.
Salient CompleteView & Software House CCURE 9000 integration
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 | Posted by Brian Carle at 02:21 PM
SALIENT SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES 3.5.1 RELEASE WITH SOFTWARE HOUSE C•CURE 9000 INTEGRATION
AUSTIN, TX (JULY 28, 2010) – Salient Systems and Software House have collaborated on the integration of their CompleteView™ Video Management System with the innovative C•CURE 9000 security and event management system. The combination of the two security applications merges the management functions of access control and video surveillance providing customers with a single, feature rich interface for ‘easy-to-use’ security control. In addition, version 3.5.1 offers enhanced H.264 recording performance.
“This partnership brings together world-class access control with the most comprehensive, easiest to use video surveillance management software available on the market today”, said Per Hanssen, President and CTO of Salient Systems. At the core of the C•CURE 9000 and CompleteView solution is the customer’s ability to view, search and playback video from the C•CURE 9000 monitoring station. It also allows for camera control, pop-up viewing from multiple cameras, the ability to create events and alarms and to activate pre-programmed camera activity. “Customers also benefit from this integration because they can control the rising costs of managing two separate security systems and still allow for expansion and growth,” explained Hanssen.
Version 3.5.1 of CompleteView also provides superior H.264 recording performance. “CompleteView now offers one of the highest performance H.264 recording platforms available without the use of specialized H.264 decoding hardware” says Hanssen. “We expect customers to see a 3x average performance improvement, allowing for a greater number of H.264 cameras to be processed on a single computer. This enhancement will dramatically decrease the server hardware costs associated with processing and recording H.264 video streams for customers of CompleteView” explains Hanssen.
CompleteView has been developed with both the security and the IT professional in mind. Based on open architecture and offering the flexibility for both IP and analog camera support, users are free to add, move and delete cameras without re-licensing or penalties. Features such as Dynamic Resolution Scaling address bandwidth consumption by streaming video at the appropriate resolution requested by the video client. CompleteView offers a comprehensive video management solution with system administration from a single location for updates, licensing, replicating server configurations across an enterprise installation and moving or copying IP cameras between servers.
C•CURE 9000 security and event management system utilizes IT standard tools and an innovative distributed architecture. It offers leading edge integration capabilities, advanced alarm routing and remote access for system administration and monitoring via a light client. Combined with a suite of powerful door controllers including the powerful iSTAR Edge two-door IP door controller and an unsurpassed integration platform that allows customers to integrate with critical business applications, Software House solutions are among the most powerful in the industry. In fact, nearly half of the companies listed on the Fortune 500 use Software House branded solutions to help solve their most complex business operation challenges.
About Salient
Salient Systems offers comprehensive IP and analog video surveillance management systems built on open architecture. CompleteViewTM, Salient Systems Video Management Software is scalable and provides everything needed to manage a multi-server enterprise from a single desk-top. CompleteView can be found in state and local government agencies, municipalities, K-12, college and university campus settings as well as industrial and commercial real estate. For more information about Salient, or to locate a Certified Reseller, please visit us at www.salientsys.com
About Software House
Software House, a Tyco International Company, manufactures security and event management systems including the innovative C•CURE 9000 and C•CURE 800/8000. Combined with a suite of reliable controllers lead by the iSTAR Edge IP door control module, Software House technologies are among the most powerful in the industry. Add an unsurpassed integration platform that allows customers to integrate seamlessly with critical business applications, and it’s easy to see why Software House solutions are ideal for security-critical applications. For more information, visit www.swhouse.com.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 | Posted by Brian Carle at 08:15 AM
When designing a video security system, having choices and flexibility is important. In today's security marketplace there are a myriad of products available. Product selection when designing a surveillance system can come down to factors such as:
How do I utilize existing Analog cameras?
What platform is best for future expansion?
Are there existing complimentary systems in place, such as access control?
How can I accomplish the security goals in a cost effective manner?
In most cases choosing a cost effective, open platform video management system will assuage many of these concerns. We will be examining some of these design choices in the Salient blog over the coming months.
In this post we'll explore one important choice: Purchasing a software only VMS (Video Management Software) or a full Network Video Recorder.
Full Network Video Recorder
Benefit: No staging or installation hassle
When sourcing a complete NVR solution the software is pre installed, eliminating an obstacle to successful deployment. This mean less time at the installation site and a lower potential for problems and time consuming troubleshooting.
Benefit: Single point of support/easier vendor management
One of the benefits of an NVR is that the hardware and software come from a single vendor. This makes the management of vendors simpler. Assuming an open architecture/open platform recording solution is employed, you can still select from a variety of access control, camera and other complimentary products to be integrated with the NVR.
Support issues are greatly reduced. Having one vendor able to troubleshoot the full recording solution is simpler than managing multiple vendors for support, parts sourcing and warranty repair. This also eliminates the proverbial 'finger pointing' between vendors when a problem occurs.
Benefit: Easier to specify hardware for a particular camera configuration
One of the major design challenges is how to specify the correct server hardware for the video recording needs. Some camera and recording configuration factors influence server processing requirements, such as:
Number of cameras
Recording frame rate
Live viewing frame rate
Compression type (MJPEG / MPEG4 / H.264)
Resolution of recorded/live video
Processing of the video (motion detection / Analytics)
Other factors influence storage required:
Amount of video being recorded at a given time (throughput of the disk system)
Resolution
Frame rate recorded
Retention time
Compression type
Scene complexity (amount of movement & variation of colors)
Each recording platform may differ when it comes to how much storage and processing power is required given the above variables. Sourcing the hardware and software together reduces the risk of under or over specifying the recording platform. Additionally, the hardware from an NVR vendor may be purpose built. This means components are sourced specifically to endure the rigors of constant high frame rate recording and important redundancies are built-in. Often vendors supplying complete recording solutions provide online NVR calculators which take these variables into account and provide engineering support experienced in specifying systems.
Software Only VMS
Benefit: Hardware flexibility
When sourcing a recording server hardware platform from a single vendor, the choices are limited to the vendor’s offerings. Special needs may be accommodated by the endless options available from 3rd party vendors such as Dell, HP and others.
Benefit: Compliance with organization’s standard PC vendor
It is not uncommon for an organization to have a hardware vendor standard. Business class servers from major PC vendors may have common management features, standard drivers and other factors that make management of an enterprise IT network substantially easier. In the case of this requirement a single source NVR solution would not be possible.
Conclusion
There are many design challenges for the security system specifier. Fortunately there are many choices available in the marketplace. Salient Systems provides three options for CompleteView-based recording solutions:
CompleteView can be provided as a software-only VMS, allowing for installation on any PC hardware platform.
Salient can pre-install CompleteView on a variety of teir-1 PC OEMs (such as Dell or HP) which is a big help when staging an installation.
CompleteView can be preinstalled on Salient’s line of purpose-built Network Video Recorders such as the S500 or RM1000 for a full hardware/software NVR solution.
Sunday, June 27, 2010 | Posted by Brian Carle at 07:51 PM
CompleteView 3.5.1 features faster processing of H.264 video streams. Using this version of CompleteView will allow for a far greater number of H.264 cameras to be used on a system.
Any customers using CompleteView 3.x or subscribing to Salient’s Yearly Upgrade Plan are entitled to upgrade at no cost. To obtain the new release please contact Salient’s support department at 512-617-4802.
If you're familiar with the previous version of the tool, you'll know it would not allow for configurations that require more than a single NVR. In order to design a system requiring more than a single NVR you would have to manually split the camera configuration across separate servers.
The best feature of the new design tool is that it figures out large camera configurations for you and automatically splits them across different NVRs. All you need to know is how many cameras you have and how they will be setup and used.
Simply enter in the configuration by single cameras or groups of cameras then click 'Server Report' to get a detailed report of NVR recommendations. The Design Tool takes into account:
Processing requirement of the camera configuration vs. the total processing capability of the NVR
Number of analog cameras directly connected to the system (not connected through encoders)
Amount of disk throughput required to store the video vs. what the NVR can handle
Amount of storage space the camera configuration requires
You can optimize the results for lowest price or best performance. 'Mouse over' each of those options when using the calculator for detailed descriptions.
The new tool also features updated reports. The new reports show our current NVR hardware specs as well as detailed graphs of specific camera configurations and their processing/hardware requirements.
We hope you like it and we are always looking for feedback on how it can be improved. Please send any comments and suggestions to brian.carle@salientsys.com
