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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have been awarded the security upgrade work to be completed in Puddle Duck Ln, Erina. The scope of works was to install IP CCTV cameras over a wireless link to the clients office in their house as well as a video intercom at the main gate which was approx 300m away from the clients house. Brett worked on the wireless link using the latest Ubiquiti antennas and receivers to ensure the very best in wireless video transmission. Brett also recommended the client use the Panasonic Intercom to guarantee the operation of the video feed from the clients entry gate to the house would not falter.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design and install the new Security System for the new Bayswater, Kings Cross Fine Wines Bottle shop. Brett worked closely with their operations manager, to design and install the new security system which included Intruder Alarm with Back to Base Monitoring and an IP CCTV Surveillance system.
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Bret Gallen and the team at iKey Security have been awarded the 2nd contract to commence the Good St Apartment Intercom upgrades. The Good St, Apartments have approx 90+ units. The existing units intercoms are all beginning to fail and the managing strata agents Comfort Living Strata Management have begun the process of upgrading each of the 8+ buildings. The Intercom will be changed over from back and white video to the very latest 2 wire colour video system with access control added to each building too via HID smart card readers.
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Bret Gallen and the team at iKey Security have been awarded the first contract to commence the Good St Apartment Intercom upgrades. The Good St, Apartments have approx 90+ units. The existing units intercoms are all beginning to fail and the managing strata agents Comfort Living Strata Management have begun the process of upgrading each of the 8+ buildings. The Intercom will be changed over from back and white video to the very latest 2 wire colour video system with access control added to each building too via HID smart card readers.
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Brett Gallen at the team at iKey Security have been awarded the intercom contract for the Apartments on Belmont Ave. Brett and his team worked out the best solution was to install the latest wireless GPRS intercom from Dallas Delta. The intercom calls the residents mobiles from the intercoms door station at the buildings front door/s via a 3G/4G wireless dialer. The resident can then unlock the door from their mobile by pressing a pin number which unlocks the door. This was a great benefit to the committee as it saved approx $20K on installation.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed JK Williams Stage 2 Security upgrade at their Penrith facility. Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged as the head Security Contractor after lengthy negotiations to design, supply and install JKW's new IP CCTV Security System. The System included the latest 64CH 4K UHD Recorder with 8MP and 12MP Cameras. The total number of cameras installed across the site was 50 which also included 4 x 12MP 360 degree fisheyes mounted in their transport warehouse. Warren Shepherd from JKW was extremely happy with the design and installation and looks forward to working with Brett and his team into the future
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design and install the new IP Surveillance System for the Rockhampton Hotel. Brett worked closely with their new licensee, Tony Mackey, to design and install the new CCTV system to cover the Bar areas, Gaming Room and Restaurant. Overall the system included a 16CH Tribrid Recorder and 16 IP Cameras.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design and install the new IP Surveillance System for the Watermark Premier Apartments in Bella Vista. Brett worked closely with their buildings manager, Michael, to design and install the new CCTV system to cover the internal and external areas of the apartment. Overall the system included a 32CH Recorder and 16 IP Cameras.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design and install the new IP Surveillance System for the Veterinary Cremation Services site in Yennora. Brett worked closely with the owner, Simon, to design and install the new CCTV system to cover the internal areas, cremation control LED's and the chimney stacks on the roof which formed part of the spec required by the owner and local council. Overall the system included a 16CH Recorder and 14 IP Cameras.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design and install the new security system including Intruder Alarm with 24/7 Back to Base Monitoring and an IP Surveillance System for the Cooma Hotel in NSW's snowy mountain region. Brett worked closely with their new Licensee Tony Mackey, to design and install the new CCTV system to cover the Bar areas, Gaming Room, Bottle Shop and Restaurant. Overall the system included a 64CH Super 4K (UHD) Recorder and 38 IP Cameras across the site. The new intruder alarm will be monitored 24/7 by iKey Security's control room and provided rapid response to all active alarms.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed the security installation for Northline Freight's transport facility in Wetherill Park, Sydney southwest.
Brett worked closely with Northlines Corporate Services Coordinator Colin Owen until project completion. The team at iKey Security were up against the major security players in ADT and Chubb however; it was a combination of both price but even more so, service, that won iKey Security the contract.
The security spec given to iKey Security was to design and install a high end security system that consisted of Intruder Alarm, Access Control and the very latest in IP CCTV technology. Integrated 24/7 back to base Alarm and Access Control, with miPASS secured encryption ensures that the site is well secured from all access points.
With a Service and Maintenance Agreement in place, it will see the team at iKey Security provide 24/7 on/off site technical support giving piece of ind that the system installed will be maintained at optimum levels. Brett Gallen has welcomed the partnership with the team at Northline and looks forward to building and maintaining a very close working relationship into the future.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design and install the new Security System for the new Paddington Fine Wines Bottle shop. Brett worked closely with their operations manager, to design and install the new security system which included Intruder Alarm with Back to Base Monitoring and an IP CCTV Surveillance system.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design and install the new IP Surveillance System for the Concord Hotel. Brett worked closely with their operations manager, to design and install the new CCTV system to cover the Bar areas, Gaming Room and Restaurant. Overall the system included a 32CH Recorder and 23 IP Cameras.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged to design the CCTV refurbishment for the Y-Hotel. As the incumbent security contractor for Y Hotel, Brett was asked to redesign the CCTV layout for the hotels refurbishment. Working closely with the team at Y Hotel, Brett Gallen designed and installed the new CCTV components for the hotels new foyer and reception area. There was also a need to add some access control to the luggage rooms and reception areas all of which completed by iKey Security's team.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed the Security System installation of Xylems remote Karratha Industrial Site. Brett has been working closely with Xylem since 2008 and was engaged to design and install the new security system for their remote Karratha industrial site. The team at Xylem wanted to ensure the system was fully integrated to their management site in Sydney; it comprised of Access Control, Intruder Alarm with 24/7 Monitoring as well as a high end IP CCTV System. Brett oversaw the whole project and was even on site to do the final commissioning and testing for Xylems WA management team.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed the Security fit out for the new Greenwood Child Care Centre at Chatswood, Meriton Apartments. The System comprised of Access Control with Individual Parent Access, IP CCTV Surveillance and VoIP Telephone System. The contract was won part of a tender with Rescon Builders who have been engaged as the preferred builder of the NSW Greenwood Centres. We look forward to working with Rescon builders well into the future.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have just completed the Security System Upgrades to the NSW SES - Sydney Southern Region command office. The SES were looking to add a video intercom solution to their southern regions office that included remote access and wireless handsets for easier access to their offices. Panasonic was the brand selected by Brett to offer the best solution at a competitive price.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have been working closely with the NSW Anglicare team , providing them advice and system design knowledge to better secure some of their most important sites. They have just finished the security upgrade to their Rooty Hill Carers house. The design of this site was to help secure the property with Intruder Alarm, Access Control as well as give the carers on site improved personal security with Duress Buttons and IP CCTV Cameras; all of which are monitored remotely.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed the Security fit out for the new Greenwood Child Care Centre at Waterloo. The System comprised of Access Control with Individual Parent Access, IP CCTV Surveillance and VoIP Telephone System. The contract was won part of a tender with Rescon Builders who have been engaged as the preferred builder of the NSW Greenwood Centres. We look forward to working with Rescon builders well into the future.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed the Security fit out for the new Greenwood Child Care Centre at Lane Cove. The System comprised of Access Control with Individual Parent Access, IP CCTV Surveillance and VoIP Telephone System. The contract was won part of a tender with Rescon Builders who have been engaged as the preferred builder of the NSW Greenwood Centres. We look forward to working with Rescon builders well into the future.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have been working closely with the NSW Anglicare team , providing them dvice and system design knowledge to better secure some of their most important sites. They have just finished the security upgrade to their Blacktown Children's boarding house. The design of this site was to help secure the property as well as give the carers on site improved personal security with Duress Buttons and IP CCTV Cameras; all of which are monitored remotely.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed JK Williams Stage 1 Security upgrade at their Penrith facility. Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security were engaged as the head Security Contractor after lengthy negotiations to design, supply and install JKW's new Security System. The System was to integrate Access Control across over 30+ Doors and Key Cabinets, Intruder Alarm across the Main Office, Warehouse and detached Warehouse and provide 24/7 back to base monitoring. Warren Shepherd from JKW was extremely happy with the design and installation and looks forward to working with Brett and his team on stage 2 of the upgrade coming soon - IP CCTV.
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Brett Gallen and the team have just complete the CCTV Upgrade for the Y Hotel Hyde Park in Sydney's CBD.
iKey Security were contacted to upgrade their existing 17 analogue cameras to IP as well as, incorporate and further 20 cameras to give maximum coverage across the hotel most vulnerable areas.
Brett worked closely with the Hotel Manager and Maintenance Manager and after close consideration, they decided that the Samsung IP platform was the best quality and also offered the best value for money. Across the hotel, they now have 37 Samsung Full HD IP cameras; giving the staff and hotel guest piece of mind that safety is a top priority.
The Y Hotel Management and iKey Security look forward to a long partnership and are already looking at the next project together.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have just completed a Security Upgrade for the Aspect Central Coast, Autistic School.
Brett was contacted by the School to help them improve their current security systems and improve safety and some forms of communications. Brett worked closely with the Principal who suggested they were looking at investing in a "security card" system with reporting, and some type of intercom for the 2 entry gates. During the initial consultation and site visit, Brett was asked if there was something they could suggest to also help improve the communication between the office and the children's playgrounds, as in the past, if there was an incident in the playground the teachers would have to run all the way back to the office to alert others. Brett suggested adding additional "call points" in the 3 separate playgrounds to enable teaches to press a button and have direct communication with the office staff; this was seen as a must have by all of the staff and the principal and was added to the total security spec.
Aspect Terrigal is a non for profit organisation, so Brett also worked closely with the suppliers to apply further discounts or donate what they could to help keep the overall costs down.
"it was great to see everyone do what they could to help keep the costs down, a big thank you to all the suppliers for their donations and massive discounts, a job well done" Brett Gallen
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have just completed the Security fit-out for Anglicare's new Villawood Warehouse.
Brett Gallen was contacted by Anglicare to provide a Security Proposal for their new warehouse, located in Villawood NSW. They were asked to provide a Fully Digital CCTV system with remote viewing abilities on PC's, Tablets and Smartphones.
Following the initial site visit, Brett suggested using the Samsung Security Platform. Samsung Security is by far one of the world leaders in CCTV technology; its latest range of 2MP/3MP IP cameras and Samsung NVR's are second to none. Their image quality and built in video analytics are pushing the boundary's in today's security market. Anglicare have also provided great feedback on their new Security system and are looking forward to working with Brett Gallen and his team in the future.
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have just completed the Roselands SNAP Fitness Gym Security upgrade.
As a 24hr Gym, Tony Mackey (Gym Owner) was looking to upgrade is current CCTV system for a fully digital IP system that allowed for remote monitoring via, PC, Tablet and Smartphone. Having the ability to log in anytime, anywhere in the world was important to Tony as he spends time in his other SNAP gyms, one in Orange (NSW) and his most recent location in Malaysia.
Having a system that works is a great advantage to Tony and his staff as a lot of the time the Gym is not always staffed by an employee. It allows the mangers to quickly run through daily footage to see if members are letting "non paying customers" in during times that its not staffed by a Gym employee. It also allows Tony and his team to archive footage for OH&S and incident reporting; it also shows who is and who isn't keeping the gym tidy. One of the main problems for a 24hr Gym is that members come in, use the equipment and leave the equipment out or unclean.
Investing in such a system has given Tony and his team the tools to educate his members on unauthorised people in the gym and also about the usage rules, such as, keep the equipment clean and tidy.
Tony has been so impressed with the System supplied and installed by iKey Security that he has invested in an identical system throughout his Gym in Malaysia; these 2 sites are now integrated through Samsung Security Manager giving Tony eyes 24/7 across both sites through one application.
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Conceived by Australia’s foremost alarm technician, Gabriel Daher,
Interlogix ZeroWire is a powerful wireless security and automation
solution that’s as attractive for end users as it is for installers. WHEN an engineering version of the ZeroWire wireless security and
automation system was displayed at Security 2013 in Sydney there was no
doubt it was a powerful piece of technology. An all-in-one security and
automation system that could handle 128 sensors, the real power of this
system lay in its embrace of open wireless comms. The system hustled cellular, WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, as well
as offering Z-Wave communications for agnostic control of any Z-Wave
automation devices. Along with being open at the device level, ZeroWire
functionality and reporting was open to customers, too, thanks to a
built-in web server offering browser, Android and Apple iOS capability.
That all seems so obvious today, but when the system was dreamed up, it
was bleeding edge. Now Interlogix, which purchased ZeroWire when it bought Australian
communications manufacturer UHS from Hills Ltd in September 2014, is
leaning in with ZeroWire. The solution, re-sized to 64-zones, was
recently unveiled at Consumer Electronics in Las Vegas and looking at
the specifications it becomes even clearer just how keen Gabriel Daher’s
vision was when he conceived ZeroWire as a wireless everything
solution. Something that’s new with ZeroWire since Daher showed me the system
in July 2013 is video capability. ZeroWire now natively supports IP
cameras and can facilitate both viewing of live video and replay of
video recordings, either to confirm intrusion or for general monitoring.
Adding video really is the icing on a scrumptious cake. But to my mind the greatest strength of ZeroWire is retaining Sigma
Design’s Z-Wave capability. Z-Wave technology is duplex, low power draw,
fast thanks to a 100kbitps rate and has extremely low latency of .05 of
a second. It also operates in the comparative peace and quiet of the
900Mhz band. “ZeroWire is an ideal choice for today’s homeowner looking for a
complete, cost-effective solution that provides security and interactive
home control through personal technology devices”
It’s a credit to Interlogix that Z-Wave is still available. There are
plenty of electronic security manufacturers which would not be prepared
to leave a huge part of their new solution open to third party devices.
That’s because Z-Wave is a broadly open comms standard with devices
made by 250 or more manufacturers. Z-Wave technology is licensed by Sigma and while proprietary in terms
of product badging, under the hood there’s uniformity of wireless
comms. That means Z-Wave devices can intercommunicate between
manufacturers’ controllers. Incorporating Z-Wave means Interlogix is
offering something wonderful to installers and end users that’s rarely
seen in systems of this size and accessibility - a measure of open-ness. Integrated Z-Wave comms means homeowners can manage the whole
spectrum of Z-Wave lights, security, smoke detection, carbon monoxide
detection, flood sensors, air conditioning controls, energy management
controls, medical monitoring alarms, locking devices and heaps more, now
and in the future. In fact, there are around 1000 Z-Wave home
automation devices currently available. Something else to bear in mind with all the talk of Z-Wave is that
ZeroWire also offers integrated Wi-Fi. Now, Wi-Fi is an open wireless
standard but it seems Interlogix will be employing it carefully. Rather
than porting ZeroWire to whatever is the nearest WiFi router, the
current thinking seems to be that this comms path be used to integrate
ZeroWire with UTC products, including Carrier air conditioners and Kidde
fire systems. In terms of outright specifications, the ZeroWire system supports up
to 64 zones and can accept more than 250 users. It has context-sensitive
keys and voice-guided menu for simple installation and operation and
supports door/window, glass break and environmental sensors; motion,
smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. The system can also handle up to 20
key fobs that can be used locally for arming/disarming the panel,
turning on or off a Z-Wave-enabled light, or activating the panic
feature from a compact, remote device. There’s a dual-path reporting over broadband and cellular networks
for increased levels of security. Something that’s interesting is the
fact Interlogix is highlighting the fact ZeroWire’s teeny footprint and
low-profile allow it to be wall-mounted or table-mounted. Whenever I
read the words ‘table-mount’ my mind always spins an image of cloud. “With its advanced cloud features and user-friendly operation, the
ZeroWire system is an ideal choice for today’s homeowner looking for a
complete, cost-effective solution that provides security and interactive
home control through personal technology devices,” according to Paul
Van der Zanden, general manager, global intrusion and alarm monitoring
solutions, Interlogix. Those cloud features work both ways. As well as giving users remote
and mobile access to functionality and reporting, ZeroWire is the
consummate SaaS (security as a service) module, offering enterprising
alarm installers an IP business model with a long line of sales hooks. source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/articles/2015/04/24/interlogix-zerowire-%E2%80%93-security-and-home-automation
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Hills is stocking the latest in access control technology with the new HID Twist & Go Mobile Access solution now available. Head of Hills security practice Kobi Ben-Shabat said the products are set to change access control across all industries. “These readers allow greater control and flexibility over access than
ever before, with a close range ‘tap’ of a smart phone or HID’s global
patented ‘Twist and Go’ mode to open doors from a distance. “Smart phone access control and near field readers are the next
frontier of security products and Hills is excited about this new
offering for its customers,” Kobi Ben-Shabat said. source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/articles/2015/04/20/hills-showing-latest-hid-twist-and-go-mobile-access-0
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Watch the Samsung WiseNet III CCTV promotion video here. The WiseNetIII features the most advanced functions from Samsung with
1.3 megapixel to 3 megapixel cameras for high definition images.Designed
to meet the market needs, WiseNetIII cameras will be the standard
product for the professional security systems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERntWJaHflY&x-yt-ts=1421828030&x-yt-cl=84411374
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Bosch 3000 control panel Bosch
Security Systems has released its new Solution 2000 and 3000 alarm
panels which are designed to expand and handle evolving automation and
comms modules in the future. THESE 2 new panels are important releases from Bosch and they show
the company is well aware of the vagaries of the future in the domestic
and small commercial market. They key thing is to offer a panel that is
affordable, yet flexible enough take on a wide range of future
technologies – particularly comms and automation. According to Bosch, the new panels were built to meet concepts of
lifestyle, connectivity and expandability. They also incorporate digital
communications technologies such as SMS over IP, IP-alarm reporting,
and the Bosch Remote Security Control app. There are additional expansion options being released in the next few
months that will give installers and end users a greater sense of the
nature of these systems but there’s plenty of potential. The new modules
include cool stuff like video integration and home automation. The controllers come in a black poly shroud inside a metal housing
and it makes for a very compact footprint. Around the outside of the
shroud are termination points. It’s hard to get lost when terminations
are tagged and presented this way. There’s no fumbling around in dark
places for untagged terminations. It’s a very nice looking housing,
which was designed locally by Bosch’s James Layton. But while the panels
have considerable local input, Bosch is in the process of standardising
many aspects of product range.
“The panels are customised for the Australian market,” Layton tells
me. “But the accessories, including sensors and keypads, are worldwide.
This gives us access to more research and development in key areas –
particularly automation.”
These new accessories include Bosch’s new RADION wireless family
which comprises 15 different products, including motion detectors,
window and other dry contacts, key fobs, and smoke detectors, surface
and recessed mount door and window contacts, a universal transmitter.
This makes it suitable for new installations, as well as for use in
existing installations thanks to compatibility with existing DSRF
wireless systems and legacy control panels from Bosch. Bosch’s RADION family offers another special feature. By using up to 8
repeaters, remotely located detectors can be integrated in an alarm
system, expanding system range up to 1350 metres. In addition to
numerous mechanical design features to improve the ease and reliability
of installation, all RADION peripherals can be automatically enrolled
within the intrusion system.
According to Layton, the new 2000 and 3000 alarm panels replace Bosch’s existing Ultima range.
“For a start, the new panels double the number of zones we can
offer,” Layton explains. “The old panel was an 8 zone, this new one is
8/16-zones, while the 4-zone panel is now 4/8-zones. In both cases the
panels can be expanded by zone doubling or zone expanders. But more
flexible zone expansion is only part of the story.
“We basically over-engineered these products and this allows us to
bring them now with features like remote arm/disarm, remote programming
and digital photo-frame function, as well as all the alarm functions,
while offering the ability to expand in new ways. “Because there’s built-in camera and microphone capability in the
touchscreens, we can introduce an intercom, and there are apps for video
monitoring,” Layton says. “Later this year we will bring out an
analogue video integration module or the panels, along with home
automation which will include integration with ZigBee and Z-Wave
products – that means door control, lighting control and management of
air conditioning.” According to Layton, Bosch is working to push the concept of end user choice with these panels. “As well as the various intercom, video and automation capabilities
users can select from IP/NBN alarm reporting without the cost of
wireless communications,” Layton explains. “We over-engineered these products and this allows us to release them
now with features like remote arm/disarm, remote programming and digital
photo-frame function…while offering the ability to expand in new ways” Noticing I’m checking out a wireless comms module, Layton tells me the
module supports 2G/GPRS but the panel is optioned to handle 3G or 4G LTE
comms with a module swap. This is good news, given Telstra’s
announcement last month of 2G’s sunset before the end of 2016. According to Layton, Bosch has recently rolled out a common BUS technology for all countries – the SDI2 BUS.
“The Solution 2000 and 3000 panels have been completely designed for
the Australia/New Zealand market,” says Layton. “Although the back-end
architecture has been based on the US1B panels from the United States,
the front-end interface of the panel has been built to fit the needs of
our market and should be very familiar to any existing or past users of
Bosch Solution panels.
“The key advantage of the common SD12 bus is that Bosch is always
developing new technologies all over the world, and with a common
architecture, it’s a very simple exercise to realise the benefits of
these developments in all markets,” he says. “For example, in the United States, we have just released integration
with Zigbee and Z-Wave home automation protocols – now that this
technology has been developed, we plan to bring it to the Solution
2000/3000 in coming months.”
Bosch Solution 2000 and 3000 features
Bosch’s Solution 2000 and 3000 intrusion panels have a variety of
keypad options. There’s the LCD Icon keypad, an LCD Alphanumeric keypad
which displays information in real text allowing users to quickly
identify the cause of any alarm, and even to control multiple household
areas simultaneously (such as separating the main house and an external
garage or shed). Next are Touchscreen keypads which allow users to turn
their intrusion panel into a lifestyle product with a variety of simple
to use and aesthetically pleasing options and additional features. While offering the same telephone line communication capabilities as
existing intrusion panels, the Solution 2000 and 3000 also have
available a range of communications extension modules that integrate
directly with the panel and provide options such as mobile
communications via the GSM and GPRS networks, along with IP reporting
through the Internet. The IP connection option makes the panel fully NBN-ready with the
majority of monitoring centres in Australia and New Zealand able to
handle the IP communications from the Solution 2000 and 3000. This
offers the improved security of high-poll monitoring with no call
costs. Remote app
Meanwhile, Bosch Remote Security Control app gives users full control
of intrusion panels through AndroidOS or IOS smartphone. Users can arm
and disarm a system, trigger outputs to run external devices (such as
roller doors, air conditioning units, or smart lighting systems), or
simply check what time the kids left in the morning for school – all of
these features and more are built in to the intuitive and quick Bosch
RSC app. Local wireless control of Solution 2000 is easy with wireless keyfobs
that allow users to arm and disarm their system, control external
outputs and trigger a panic alarm if unable to reach the panel’s
keypad. Taking wireless to the next level is Solution 3000, which includes
the option to integrate with the Bosch RADION range of wireless
transmitters. With a growing suite of wireless products such as motion
sensors, door and window reed switches, and remote keyfobs, Bosch RADION
will create new options for how you manage your home security. With support for up to 4 keypads on both panels and the ability to be
split into 2 separate partitions on the Solution 3000, you have the
ability of 1 security system that can act as 2. Both the house and
garage/granny flat can be covered by the one system at one cost. Each partition can even report to a different monitoring centre if
desired – the perfect arrangement for shared premises such as duplex
houses or commercial properties. By John Adams with James Layton
Features of the Bosch 2000 and 3000 include:
* 8/16 Fully Programmable Zones * 41 Codes – 1 Installer, 20 User Codes, 20 RF Keyfobs * 16 Wireless Devices (on Solution 3000) * Partitionable in to 2 separate areas on Solution 3000
* STAY / AWAY Arming Options * Selectable Reports per User Code * Entry and Exit Warning * Automatic Arming * Remote Arming * Zone Lockout * 256-event History Memory * 5 Programmable Outputs * Dynamic Battery Test. “As well as the various intercom, video and automation capabilities
users can select from IP/NBN alarm reporting without the cost of
wireless communications”
source:http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/articles/2014/08/15/bosch-solution-2000-3000-alarm-panels
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Hikvision’s new 4-Line Smart IP is a solid range of cameras that combines high performance in key areas like wide dynamic range, colour rendition, and pointy prices. In key ways, the 4-Line represents Hikvision’s coming of age. I got a look at a swag of new stuff at the Hikvision demo room in North Ryde late last month. Hikvision’s is one of the better set up demo spaces I’ve seen but best of all, the boys have taken the opportunity to install a broad spread of Hikvision cameras on the roof of the large building housing their office. The building holds a commanding position looking over serious distances with major infrastructure assets in all directions. These include nearby roadways, intersections, and multiple industrial and retail complexes. In this feature, I’m going to focus on the 4-Line series but it’s a difficult thing to do. For a start the Hikvision back story is fascinating and while the boys fill me in on the enormous size of the company, its huge, new manufacturing facilities and 3500 surveillance engineers, it’s just impossible not to warm to their story. Michael Bates and Tony Lagan are sensible men with technical acumen and more than enough experience to give them a frame of reference through which to view Hikvision’s current and future aspirations. Their commitment to the company and their ownership of its drive to become CCTV’s technology leader is palpable throughout this demo. Adding to the challenge today is Hikvision’s 6-Line series and in particular a pair of cameras I take an immediate shine to – the first is an IR equipped 6MP hemispheric. The second is Hikvision’s Darkfighter. I’m going to review these in upcoming issues but we spent a bit of time looking at each during the 4-Line demo and it’s seriously good kit. 4-Line Smart IP
4-Line Smart IP is a range of 16 cameras. For the sake of readability I’m going to generalise here and not include the model numbers. There are box (full body) cameras, indoor domes, IR bullet cameras and outdoor domes, all with resolution options of 1.4 (720p, DWDR, 60ips), 1.3 (120dB, WDR, 30ips), 2MP (1010p with DWDR and 30ips) and 3MP (1080p with 120dB, WDR and 30ips). If you need it, there’s onboard storage to 64GB with all 16 cameras.
The Hikvision demo room has a good spread of 4-Line cameras up and running on the video wall but the camera we are looking at most specifically is the DS-2CD4024F-(A) 3MP Full HD box camera sitting on a stand on the main table. Doing a lap, I can see it’s a handsome camera - the first thing I notice is the blue LED light on its flank. As well making the camera look cool, it allows security staff to see at a glance that the camera has power. Neat. Lagan tells me this unit is available with a standard or P-Iris lens – the latter is a lens and processing combination that improves a scene’s depth of field. In this case, we are looking at the standard lens version. Before we start looking out across the North Ryde scenery, Lagan takes me through the range’s specifications and what really strikes me with the 4-Line is just how well optioned it is. Hikvision’s engineers have left nothing out. The primary specs include a 1/3-inch progressive scan CMOS sensor giving a minimum scene illumination of 0.1 lux at F1.2 and 0.01 in monochrome at F1.2, both with AGC on. Depending on the model you select, there’s a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. At that resolution you get 20 frames per second. Come back to 1920 x 1080 and 1280 x 720 and it’s 60 or 30 frames per second, depending on which camera you have. WDR is a very strong 120dB and there’s digital noise reduction and auto back focus. Although we are looking at a full body camera without IR, you can select an IR bullet camera with a Smart IR function allows IR strength adjustment governed by analytics. Power is reduced when faces are closer to the camera, reducing blooming. Compression options are H.264, MPEG4 and MJPEG, with H.264 in baseline profile, main profile and high profile. This is nice work from Hikvision. H.264 is a framework rather than a standard – for the company to have gone to the trouble of developing high profile H.264 shows great integrity in my opinion. Depending on the compression option selected, video bit rate runs from 32Kbps to 16Mbps. “The first thing I notice is the WDR performance, which is exemplary for a 3MP camera. The transition from internal to external view is pretty much seamless to my eye” A big thing these days is clever bandwidth and storage management and Hikvision is on the money here. An advanced codec is used to increase image quality by 30 per cent at 2Mbps in 720p mode – these are good numbers in the real world. Also helping out with bandwidth management is region of interest which allows techs or users to pare back the resolution of non essential parts of a camera’s view – the sky, a ceiling or a blank wall, for instance. And speaking of walls, 4-Line also sports a corridor view which maximises useful pixels in a hallway. You simply select Rotate Mode when commissioning the camera. Meanwhile, getting live images in front of security staff is handled by triple streaming and there’s autofocus, which saves operators from having to make adjustments due to drift, changes in a scene or action that takes place right in front of a camera.
source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/articles/2014/07/17/hikvision-4-line-smart-ip-camera-review
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Brett Gallen and the team at iKey Security have successfully completed the security installation for Northline Freight's state of the art transport facility in Sydney's southwest.
Brett worked closely with Northlines Corporate Services Coordinator Colin Owen from the middle of 2013 until project completion. The team at iKey Security were up against the major security players in ADT and Chubb however; it was a combination of both price but even more so, service, that won iKey Security the contract.
The security spec given to iKey Security was to design and install a high end security system that consisted of Intruder Alarm, Access Control and the very latest in IP CCTV technology. In total there system has over 55 IP cameras running on the DigiFort IP Platform; together with Video Analytics and Number Plate Recognition, there is nothing this system cant deliver. Intergraded 24/7 back to base Alarm and Access Control, with miPASS secured encryption ensures that the site is well secured from all access points.
With a five year Service and Maintenance Agreement in place, it will see the team at iKey Security provide 24/7 on/off site technical support giving piece of ind that the system installed will be maintained at optimum levels. Brett Gallen has welcomed the partnership with the team at Northline and looks forward to building and maintaining a very close working relationship into the future.
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Older installers tend to
install the alarm panels they first learned to program. The only things
that shake many out of their comfort zones are profound unreliability,
quantum leaps in technology and plunges in price. But for new installers
there are choices to make. ALARM systems are the most fundamental electronic security
solutions. They consist of sensors, zone comms paths, a controller and a
communications module, which alerts a remote third party monitoring
team to intrusion so it can organise response. It’s all quite
straightforward laid out like this. But
despite appearances there’s plenty to think about from the selection of
brand, the performance of controllers, the decision to go with wireless
or hardwired zone loops, the choice of sensors and the type of
monitoring technology employed. Recent introductions of touch screens,
remote apps, video verification and home automation make the decision
more complex still. When
it comes to more complicated ancillaries, the need to ensure you
install the best equipment becomes greater still. If you choose to
up-sell clients to greater complexity, it must be supported by
performance and by reliability or it will become an albatross around
your neck. Cost
and reliability are intertwined – that’s because better systems come at
a price. Not a very much higher price, mind you. Fact is, the cost of
quality alarm kits is extremely low. It’s obviously possible to spend
thousands on an alarm system and turn a suburban house into Fort Knox
but there’s always a trade-off between cost and performance – and
winning or losing the job. Just be sure to spend a little more on the
best systems and components and be astute enough to sell superior
technology to users. As
an installer, the issue when you’re providing alarm systems is ensuring
that the technology you install and the way you install it guarantees
you will never be called out for a fun half day hunting bugs in a system
that’s unsupported in this hemisphere. It sounds a small thing but it’s
absolutely vital. Reliability
is also about customer service and, quite obviously, customer service
is what your reputation as an installer is built on. Reliability applies
to every aspect of a system, from the sensors to the terminations, from
keyfobs to the up-time of the remote comms path to the control room. I’ve
personally had 4 alarm systems in my life. The most dependable was a
DAS NX16. I’ve forgotten what the other systems were now but I do know I
stopped using them. One developed a controller fault and would no
longer seal. Another ate all its sensor batteries in a month then
reported hundreds and hundreds of low battery signals at 50 cents a call
while I was on 3 weeks holiday. How I laughed! Another could not resist
going into random, raucous alarm for reasons unknown. One day the
police came to call and I never armed that alarm system again. As
a new installer then, choose a quality manufacturer that offers a long
warranty on a product that’s tediously reliable. Choose sensors for the
application – not whatever costs the least. And again, make the effort
to sell your quality selection to users. Be sure users
understand that when they ask you to install $20 alarm sensors, they are
actually going to get $10 alarm sensors. This
rule about quality sensors always applies. There’s no point installing
slick looking touch screen interfaces in every bedroom that can be
accessed from the latest iPad while on safari in the Masai Mara if every
afternoon for a 3 month period over winter the lowering sun sparks off
the top of that glass table in the family room and blasts a $10 PIR into
false alarm. This
is an area you need to think hard about. Reliability inferred by
quality (and sensible installation) means resistance to false alarms.
False alarms are the bane of the lives of users. They are the number one
reason users give up using their systems and choose to let their
monitoring contracts lapse. If
you are going to install an alarm system, it must be fit for purpose.
It’s not there to detect sunbeams, it’s not there to detect cats, flies
or thermal currents. It’s not there to detect the UHF conversations of
truckies on the freeway. It’s there to detect humans, and only humans.
And detecting only humans requires an elevated level of design, build
and installation quality not represented by slapped in, mass produced
knock-offs trading on volume rather than reputation. You
will definitely ask yourself wired or wireless? It’s a harder choice
than it sounds. Sure wireless is easy to install. A child could do it.
The trouble is that some wireless is reliable and some is less reliable
and some sites are harder than others for RF to get around. Wireless is
great if done well but cheap wireless sensors are horrid. In comparison, hardwire is expensive once.
Hardwire might be tougher to install but it never munches batteries, it
never suffers apoplectic fits induced by stray EMI, the nebulous nature
of which couldn’t be established by teams of white-coated scientists
from the CERN Institute. Let’s be very clear on this. Do your homework
on wireless. If you are going to use it, use the best. “If
you are going to install an alarm system, it must be fit for purpose.
It’s not there to detect sunbeams, it’s not there to detect cats, flies
or thermal currents.”
Source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/NewsDetail/13-07-17/quality_the_key_to_reliable_alarm_systems.aspx
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NEW Pacom SmartIP-4E and 8E
network video recorders have 4 and 8 IP channel inputs and come with a
built in PoE switch (4 and 8 input) making them easy to install, setup,
and configure. The Pacom SmartIP NVRs are compatible with the EVOnet range of
cameras as well as ONVIF compatible cameras (TBA firmware upgrade
pending). The units come with a 2TB Hard Drive and have the capacity for
one additional hard drive. Each NVR comes
with a HDMI and VGA (selectable) output to provide local viewing and
playback. The Quick Wizard feature simplifies the setup and
configuration, especially when using the EVOnet range of cameras which
are automatically discovered and pre-configured for recording at a
defined resolution and frame rate. To
complement the launch of the SmartIP NVR range, a new choice of EVOnet
IP Cameras (Vandalproof Dome, IR Vandalproof Dome, as well as Full Body
Digital and True Day/Night versions) have been released.
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Hemispheric cameras with
fisheye lenses have the ability to give a 180-degree wide angle view,
making them ideal for a range of applications from retail to foyers, to
lifts, to transportation. IT was inevitable that a camera with a 180-degree wide angle lens
be developed. The combination of PoE, compact size, robust construction
and a quality fish eye lens makes for an extremely capable camera that
is perfect for applications demanding 180-degree views out to a distance
of about 15-20m. Their
lenses characteristics really are the key feature of hemispheric
cameras. Among the first practical uses for fish eye lenses after their
invention in 1906 was in meteorology where they were known as ‘whole-sky
lenses’ and were used to study cloud formation. If you take the visual
image in your mind of a whole-sky lens and turn it upside down over a
scene then you get a very good impression of what these cameras offer. Important
to bear in mind here is that the 180-degree views we are talking about
are the lower 180 degrees of a 360-degree sphere – that means a
hemispheric camera with a 180-degree lens actually gives a 360
compass-degree view of a scene. If wall-mounted the camera may give
180-degree views and some cameras offer this configuration as a
selectable option. A
great strength of hemispheric cameras is that they don’t miss any
action in a scene – a person will not move from one camera to another as
they would with fixed cameras or standard PTZ units. This continuity
applies to recordings, too, and greatly enhances court admissibility of
image streams. A
fisheye lens uses visual distortion to create a hemispherical view –
what this means is that these lenses don’t give rectilinear images –
there are no straight lines. Instead you get equisolid angles leading to
a convex image. Hemispherical surveillance cameras use image correction
to straighten out scenes when users zoom into scenes. Some do this so
well their digital zooms appear flawless. Things
to bear in mind when comparing hemispheric cameras include the fact
different fisheye lenses have different characteristic distortions –
different lens mapping functions. There are variations in image quality
that are best directly compared by objective test. Hemispheric
cameras with their wide angle views and fixed focal lengths are very
much all rounders. They are perfect for a range of internal applications
where a complete synthesis of a scene is most desirable and where
distances are not so great that face recognition is impossible. Mobotix Q24
The
PoE IP65-rated Q24 from Mobotix is the original IP-based hemispheric
camera. It’s key components include a hemispheric camera comprising a
fisheye lens, an image sensor and integrated image correction software. The
Q24, like other hemispherics, is designed to be ceiling mounting
(though it can be wall mounted using a special bracket) and if located
in the centre of the room it gives a 360-degree of the entire room. I’ve
seen the Q24 in a number of applications and its performance is
excellent. The camera is more than capable in areas with a 20m diameter
from the camera point – that’s a very large hall or foyer. Same
as all hemispherics, the fisheye gives a convex image but this is
corrected by the integrated distortion correction software, so the scene
actually appears very true to the eye. Something that’s very nice about
the Mobotix camera and management software is that it allows users to
view several image sections at once. These image sections can be
recorded separately, as well as being monitored separately. The
Q24 has a ½-inch CMOS progressive scan chip whose specifications
include minimum scene illumination of 1 lux in colour and 0.1 lux in
monochrome. Maximum image resolution is 2048 x 1536 (3MP) in colour and
1280 x 960 in monochrome. Images
format selections include 160 x 120 pixels to 2048 x 1536 pixels with
an L11 lens. There’s also PTZ view, quad view, panorama broad view
image, double panoramic view, and a panorama focus with 3 views.
Image
compression is MxPEG, M-JPEG, JPG, H.264 (Video-VoIP-Telephony) and
maximum frame rates in MxPEG VGA is 30 fps, 1MP is 30 fps and 3MP is 20
fps. Other
features include internal DVR MicroSD slot (camera internal video
recording up to 64 GB), external storage directly on NAS and PC/Server
without additional recording software. VMS is MxEasy for remote
management while control room software is MxControlCenter 2.1 Image
processing capabilities include backlight compensation, automatic white
balance, image distortion correction (panoramic image correction
included), video sensor (motion detection). There’s a virtual PTZ with
digital PTZ and a continuous 8x zoom. There’s
triggering of events by integrated multiple-window motion detection,
external signal, temperature sensor, notification over email, FTP,
IP-Telephony (VoIP, SIP), visual/acoustic alarm Pre- and post-alarm
images. I
can’t jump away from Mobotix hemispheric cameras without mentioning the
S14, which combines the P3 camera board with a pair of hemispheric
cameras on 2m cables to increase the flexibility of installations. Vivotek’s 5MP FE8172
Vivotek’s
FE8172 is a hemispheric fisheye fixed dome network camera, with a 5MP
resolution sensor. The Vivotek FE8172’s fisheye lens delivers a
180-degree panoramic view when wall-mounted or 360-degree surround view
when ceiling/floor/table-mounted. The
VIVOTEK FE8172 offers various display layouts, including original
surround view, panoramic view, and regional view for various mounting
applications. There are strong image processing capabilities that allow
hemispherical images captured from the fisheye camera can be converted
into conventional rectilinear projection for viewing and analysis. In
both the panoramic as well as regional viewing modes, users can utilize
the ePTZ function to zoom in and focus on a region of interest (ROI).
The new pixel calculator function helps the user to ensure the image
quality of a desired area. Features
of the Vivotek FE8172 include up to 30 fps at 1080p Full HD with the
1.05 mm fisheye lens giving 180-degree panoramic view and 360-degree
surround view. There’s a removable IR-cut filter for day/night function
There’s
real-time H.264, MPEG-4 and MJPEG Compression (Triple Codec) and WDR
enhancement, built-in 802.3af compliant PoE and an integrated
MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC Card Slot for on-board storage. I’ve
seen the FE8172 deployed and was impressed with its performance. For
such a small form factor there’s a huge amount of information generated
by this camera. Also impressive was Vivotek’s management software which
is intuitive, with plenty of display options. AXIS M3007-PV The
AXIS M3007-PV PoE network camera is a fixed mini dome with 360-degree
and 180-degree panoramic views at up to 5MP resolutions. The camera is
compact, vandal and dust-resistant design, and can be installed on walls
or ceilings. There’s a digital PTZ and multi-view streaming with
de-warped views, along with edge storage with support for micro-SDHC
cards. According
to Axis the camera offers useful panoramic views of areas as large as
650 square metres – that’s about the size of a large hall or hotel
foyer. AXIS M3007-PV offers different views – including a 360-degree
overview and de-warped views such as panorama, double panorama and quad
views. The quad view is ideal when the camera is positioned at an
intersection of corridors. The
camera also provides 4 individually cropped out and dewarped view areas
where users can digitally pan, tilt and zoom in on areas of interest.
Multiple video streams in H.264 and Motion JPEG can be sent
simultaneously. The
AXIS M3007-PV offers video motion detection and active tampering alarm.
In the 360-degree overview mode, the camera also supports the
installation of intelligent video applications, such as people counting
and heat mapping. Panasonic panoramic family The
new kids on the hemispheric block, Panasonic’s panoramic cameras are
built around the company’s i-Pro SmartHD technology. The models are the
indoor camera WV-SF438E and the outdoor WV-SW458E, which features a
dehumidification device to prevent fogging, in an IP66-rated weather
resistant dome. Meanwhile, the WV-SW458M is designed specifically for
transport applications such as buses or trains. These
cameras use high profile H.264 compression to keep bandwidth
requirements low and have Super Dynamic technology for difficult, wide
dynamic lighting conditions. Their 3MP/1080P resolutions can be used for
a multitude of views including, fisheye view, double panorama which is
two 180-degree horizontal views one upon the other, quad views, and many
more. Pan
Tilt Zoom operation is possible including preset positions and auto
panning, all without any mechanical movement. Full duplex audio is
built into the camera; SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot for recording in the
camera, and all images are compensated for distortion by the camera. To
reduce the bandwidth further, the cameras use VIQS (Variable Image
Quality on Specified area). It allows the installer to draw a box around
a low priority area of the picture then the bit rate within the box is
reduced, reducing overall bandwidth. Installation
is easy using PoE or 12vdc to power the camera and is compatible with
the Panasonic Network Recorder WJ-NV200 for quick easy setup. Neat
features include Face Detection, Video Motion Detection, and Privacy
Zones are also incorporated in the cameras, ensuring optional
performance. I’ve
seen these cameras in operation and their performance is extremely
good, just as you’d expect, with excellent colour rendition and strong
WDR capability. Source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/NewsDetail/13-06-19/hemispheric_hd_camera_options.aspx
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Aussie installers need to
get used to the idea of IP-based alarm systems. It’s true there is a
little bit of time to go in some areas, but as the NBN carves through
the Australian comms-scape things are going to change fast. IT has taken perhaps 15 years for wide area IP connectivity to
become central to business operations but today loss of IP networks
means business grinds to a halt. The centrality of digital
communications, its ubiquitousness and the certain disconnection of old
comms paths guarantees us an IP future. There
are multiple considerations here and it's quite possible that like the
CCTV industry the alarms industry will see an extended period of
hybridisation, with new installations being full digital and older ones
jumping onto networks using some form of encoding. In
either case IP alarm monitoring is not a choice, it's inevitable.
Telcos want to see the back of analogue and the reason for this is lack
of bandwidth. Digital comms which can be compressed and rebuilt and
readily pumped about through 1GB Cat-6, fibre, or 3G and 4G wireless
links, is more compact. This is an important consideration. We
know that we pay for our IP connectivity on the basis of bandwidth. And
the more bandwidth telcos can squeeze into their infrastructure, the
greater their RMR. It's a simple and powerful business imperative.
Regardless of any disadvantages, digital will win because it makes
suppliers more money. We
often hear about the disadvantages of IP – the terror of lost links and
the idea of all those black hatters out there, just gagging to chop
their way into our domestic alarm systems. But there are plenty of
advantages and perhaps the greatest of these are the most fundamental. Analogue
signals are a direct connection, an oscillating waveform. Whether it's
DTMF or some other option, you need a direct path between transmitter
and receiver in real time. Ok, you can split analogue signals and rout
them through different exchanges but it's complicated and more
expensive. In
comparison, IP signals are essentially digital packets of information.
If you've been reading SE&N for a while you'll know these little
data packets come replete with a header that allows them to find their
way through circuitous networks. A bit like the DNA of a cell, these
packets contain instructions on how to rebuild the message when it
arrives at the monitoring centre – this gives packet switching a
flexibility you never get with analogue. Combine
this with modern self healing networks and you get a solution that
ensures packets that get lost or encounter a blockage are almost always
going to find their way to the receiver and when they do, the message
will be able to be reconstructed perfectly. This makes digital signals
very, very robust. But
the biggest advantages – the ones we've been harping on about at
SE&N for years now – are the fact that digital opens up
communications in a way that allows security systems to be smarter, more
powerful, and more intuitive than they ever have before. For
a start digital comms are duplex and that means direct connection with
the front door on a mobile device or workstation anywhere on earth via
simple browser interface. And this 2-way communication need not just be
voice, it can be video as well, or any sort of event reporting data or
output instruction a manufacturer devises. It's silly to say there's no
end to it, but there's a lot of scope for new stuff. There
are other potential advantages, too. Some a little frightening, I grant
you. Typical alarm systems and CCTV systems demand star configs of
copper cable to get aboard control LANs. But in a full digital
environment, a device might port to a switch, or it might access the
network over WiFi. This latter is the big one in my opinion. WiFi based
cameras and sensors are a sure thing at some layer of our market. For
many installers the entire concept of IP is too much to bear. But once
you're across the fundamentals of IP, installation is immeasurably
simpler. Everything is uniform, everything is more predictable, every
system and in some cases, every device can be interrogated as part of
automated maintenance procedures. Firmware upgrades can be automatic or
propagated across whole networks of devices. Furthermore,
such a system needs to be managed and it’s unlikely IT departments are
going to want responsibility for physical security in commercial
environments, while in domestic environments, true IT capability is
usually in short supply. The
standardization of monitoring comms with IP industry standards draws a
long bow in the short term. When you consider the plethora of
proprietary standards that govern the functionality of security systems,
the idea of bringing them all together in a single communications
protocol is daunting. I think it will be a process that will take
decades. Solid state security systems are profoundly reliable and as we
all know, few organisations will pull functioning systems out just for
the hell of it in these competitive times. What
we are going see then is a process which includes the introduction of
full IP security systems which will be installed moving forward. Behind
these new systems will remain a vast installed base of legacy equipment
that we are going to need to bring online using whichever method works
best for our clients. This
is easier than it appears and it's going to be a profitable process.
There are a number of devices on the market that are dedicated to the
process of bringing alarm systems online. In fact it's very fair to say
this part of the market is maturing and will continue to mature over the
next couple of years. If
there's a challenge to bringing the installed base online, it's
selecting an encoding solution that's able to handle a wide range of
DTMF signals from multiple alarm manufacturers. As we know, most
installers stay with the same alarm manufacturer for long periods of
time but for companies that specialise in bringing systems online, a
polyglot encoding solution will be needed. For
installers, choosing the right product will include other
considerations. The RMR model in video surveillance runs all the way to
the top so you need to select carefully and be sure your needs and your
client’s needs are best served by the technology and the manufacturer
you select. There's
no doubt this hybrid period will bring plenty of opportunity and it
depends on the sales capability of installers as to whether users to
pull out existing systems and upgrade to 21st century digital technology
or choose to drive hybrids. “Solid
state security systems are profoundly reliable and as we all know, few
organisations will pull functioning systems out just for the hell of it
in these competitive times”
source:http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/NewsDetail/13-06-11/are_hybrids_the_future_of_monitoring_.aspx
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THERE’S increasing IT maturity taking place in
the electronic and networked security industry and it’s extremely good
to see. We need to see more of this maturity and I don’t think it
matters how installers come to embrace IT ecosystem, as long as they
embrace it. I think we’d all agree that for a long time there’s been a divide
between most security integrators and the IT function. It would be a
mistake to suggest this division has been industry-wide because the best
security integrators are eating IT for breakfast but for many
installers handling stuff like IP addresses and port forwards is still a
bit much. The
response to this resistance has come from all directions. We’ve seen
some distributors supplying systems that are entirely pre-commissioned
(think Pacom and Lan1), and we’ve seen manufacturers and distributors
simplifying IP solutions significantly. This
increasing closeness between manufacturers/distributors and integrators
is telling, in my opinion. It extends from training to commissioning,
to alliances on installations and new product development. I think it’s
in great part an evolutionary response to the nature of our live market,
which has less money to spend but which requires greater technical
support. In
the U.S. there’s also evidence of consolidation at both vendor level
and integrator level. This reflects pressure and a willingness to take
real risks to win future opportunity. I do see some evidence of that
going on in Australia, though to a far lesser extent than the U.S. In my
opinion there are only a handful of organisations here with the fiscal
muscle to make worthwhile acquisitions and almost none brave enough to
spend big in this slow market. I think when buys do come, we’ll see them
take place between IT companies and physical security suppliers and
integrators. At
all times and all levels we are seeing more and more product that
depends on network support. Major trends of simplification include
network sniffers that find devices and propagate them into management
solutions. And supporting these devices are increasingly stripped down
VMS solutions running on tablets and smartphones. This
last is a major trend with recent releases of Mobotix App, the pivotal
release of Milestone’s new multi-platform Arcus VMS to third party
camera manufacturers and Bosch’s new dynamic transcoding technology. But
Milestone Arcus is an interesting move from one of the industry’s
leading VMS makers. Taking cutting edge technology to the mass market in
this way is another sign of a maturing market. You
could be forgiven for thinking it’s all about video surveillance again
but it’s not. I was really pleased to read about the new Optex Redwall
PoE detector during the month. This sensor is designed to slot into PSIM
or VMS applications. I’m looking forward to the release of PoE sensors
for business and domestic applications in the mid-term future. Whether
these will be hardwired or WiFi, time will tell. While
some may suggest I’m going a bit far with all-IP alarm systems, I’d
argue not. With PSIA releasing its new standards for intrusion alarms
and access control during the month, it’s impossible to deny that there
will come a time when alarm systems are going to conform to network
standards. You
only have to look at the success of ONVIF to see that once a couple of
key companies head in the direction of some gleaming new niche, the rest
of the herd form up close behind them. It only takes one bright spark
to create a basic IP-alarm system using readily available technology and
the rest will be history. A 50-dollar HD camera-quad PIR with a SIM
card? It’s not the Ness Security Guard but it could be. When
it comes to larger solutions, will an all-IP alarm system be a network
device? Probably yes and partly no. An alarm panel needs to retain the
ability to stand alone though there’s no reason a PoE device could not
manage this just as well as a majority analogue system. You
have to put yourself into the headspace of the people building the
systems of the future for the people who will use them. The signs start
with market leaders. To my mind, the best new alarm panels are
undeniably network-capable platforms upgradeable by firmware. With IP
ports, flash drives and USB connectivity onboard they’re only a couple
of pieces of functionality away from our fully networked future. source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/NewsDetail/13-04-11/security_market_growing_up.aspx
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Interlogix is putting the finishing touches onto
its new Tecom Challenger10 security control panel, a solution that
offers vastly expanded performance and full backwards compatibility with
Challenger v8. Developed by Tecom Systems in Melbourne, Tecom’s Challenger
security management panel is an institution across Australia and New
Zealand, handling intrusion alarms and access control at around 150,000
sites. Over decades Challenger has built a reputation for stubborn
reliability. It’s a reputation that has maintained this access control
and intrusion alarm panel’s solid standing through multiple changes in
corporate ownership and a resulting slow rate of upgrade. But
while Version 8 of the Challenger panel was a tough monkey, the passage
of time had made it limiting for larger modern applications. Challenger
v8 also used programming language that had become outdated and
difficult to tune on the fly. All this said, it’s a testament to the
longevity of the design that Challenger v8 is not being retired but now
slots in underneath Challenger10, integrating with it seamlessly through
the same management software solutions. The
soon to be released Tecom Challenger10 is all new, designed in
Australia and built using the latest processors, SMD technology, and
programming language to international standards. It’s not only powerful
but designed to retain all Challenger v8’s capabilities requested by
installers over many years, while also facilitating ongoing improvements
over the course of a long life. Important too, it’s not just a single
product from the point of view of Interlogix, but a platform designed to
be endlessly developed, a first step in a powerful new direction. I
think it’s an understatement to say that we’ve all been looking forward
to seeing Tecom Challenger10 for a long time and so it was with a
degree of real excitement that I drove down to the DAS office at
Riverwood in Sydney to talk with the manufacturer and distributors about
the new system. You don’t get to see a local security system of serious
importance released every day. Process of development
This
new product was developed by UTC’s Interlogix but in a key move, the
engineers decided to give the product back its original identity by
adding Tecom to the name. That’s not the only thing that’s original
about the system. Former Tecom Systems’ MD Dean Reilly has had a
significant influence on the team and his input into this new system has
been instrumental. When
I arrive at DAS my reception committee consists of Interlogix’s Martin
Dillon and DAS’ George Salman and Troy Payne. Sitting on the table of
the training room is a flat blue and white cardboard box with the word
‘Tecom’ across the top. The boys are all excited and rather than the
usual 5 minutes of chat we take no time whatsoever in getting down to
the business at hand. There
it is, I say, waving at the box. It’s been a long time coming but it’s
bloody good to see Tecom Challenger10! While the market has been waiting
for this upgrade a while, how long was the actual development process? “About
15 months from start to finish so pretty rapid, considering we had a
locked-down design,” Martin Dillon tells me. “There have been few
hardware changes – we strengthened the USB port - since October, though
the new firmware is continually evolving. “We
made some big decisions last year in relation to what we were doing
with the product. We set a firm date for release and we are on schedule –
the product is in manufacture now. It’s been a little while coming but
now it’s here.” Dean Reilly was involved with this project wasn’t he? There was a lot of buzz in the industry when he signed on. “Yes,
Dean now works with us and has since April last year,” says Dillon.
“He’s the lead guy on the development. I think Dean has the unique
capability of building solutions for customers. There’s a lot of Dean
Reilly in that design.” According to Dillon, the engineering team designed Challenger10 as a future platform. “The
non-negotiables were firstly that it had to be a Challenger so all
those installers out there who know how a Challenger works could install
and commission it - we wanted to preserve that skill-set. And secondly,
Challenger10 had to be entirely backwards compatible,” Dillon
explains. “That’s
right,” adds George Salman. “And given it was backwards compatible the
other thing we wanted to ensure from the perspective of installers was
that they could take the screws off the Challenger v8 and then install
the Challenger 10 in the same screw holes with the same screws, with all
the connectors in exactly the same places.” Dillon agrees. “Yes
- we really made a big point of incorporating those mechanical
similarities. It means all the existing cabling can be used with no
patches or messing about for the technicians,” he explains. “This
made the panel much harder to build, I think. If you give engineers a
blank sheet of paper off they’ll go but if you ask them to build a
product that’s open to development yet can support multiple layers of
functionality from another product, then that’s a lot harder and imposes
challenges and constraints. “The
non-negotiables were firstly that it had to be a Challenger so all
those installers out there who know how a Challenger works could install
and commission it - we wanted to preserve that skill-set. And secondly,
Challenger10 had to be entirely backwards compatible”
“You
are building a totally new product that still has to communicate with
this other stuff that was built with a totally different design
philosophy. But we think this is really important,” Dillon says. “We
have good customers out there who have a lot of money invested in our
product and we want to help them protect their investment. We don’t want
to say to a customer – want to upgrade? Ask your boss for a pile of
money because the existing system will have to be ripped out. “And
what’s really important for multi-site customers is that this system
design allows them to mix and match. If they’ve got 100 Challenger v8s
and only 10 sites needing the upgraded features of Challenger10, we can
just upgrade those 10 sites and they can keep the Challenger v8s.” Dillon
says at all times the engineers and the rest of the team were intensely
conscious the panel had to be a Challenger and to leverage that
existing skill set. “I
know with some products training is a big commitment – if an integrator
has to train 20 guys for 3 days – that’s a big ask,” he says. “And
then you have a barrier. Installers may not do the course, may not
understand the product and then it begins to impact their installations –
a system may not function as well as it could function and this impacts
on its reputation. “But
that is not an issue with Challenger10. We did training in Melbourne as
part of our beta program – we got a bunch of installers in and put them
through the bridging training. To be honest the biggest challenge was
getting feedback from them because they were so confident with it – they
did not need to ring us for help – it was plug-and-play.” According to Dillon, Challenger V8 will remain as part of the product suite. “Challenger10
has IP onboard and scalability but if you only want 16 inputs and a
dialler then we don’t want to force the customer to pay for something
they don’t need,” he explains. “The Challenger v8 will be retained for
use in smaller applications.” Also
important to point out is here is that Challenger10 has been built with
plenty of room to grow and expand in all directions – including
firmware. “We
talked about the future a lot during the development process and we
have a full roadmap of product that’s going to follow it,” Dillon says. “We
are aware that there are going to be changes with comms in the future -
the power of the Internet. Products these days are aligning with IT
standards. These allow your solution to evolve with technology shifts
and individual pieces of functionality. That’s a non negotiable for us.” According to Troy Payne, this takes integrators along for the ride. “There
are some top notch integrators out there that are up on technology but
the majority are scared. They are not overly confident. If you take
those guys along for the ride with network-capable systems, then you are
educating the industry as well.” Fundamentals of the board
So
– what are the basics of the Challenger10? From an alarm input
capability Challenger10 is 4 times larger than Challenger v8. From an
output capability, it’s double the size and its access control
capability has also doubled. That means 1008 inputs, 512 outputs, 96
doors or intelligent lifts, and 99 areas up from 16 as well as 32 RASs.
There are 2000 cardholders native in the panel and there are 10,000
offline events – that’s a lot of events if comms paths are down. This
panel operates completely standalone, as the old one does and you can
still program the system from a keypad, same as the old one. There’s
also a secondary comms bus and there are 3 expansion slots on board.
There’s also Ethernet on the board, there’s a USB connection for an
installer’s tool like Titan and there’s an SD card slot for backing the
panel’s database up for yourself or for the customers. Basically
what this means is that if you need to change out a panel you can copy
the database to a card, pull the board, put in a new one, put in the
card, go to the RAS and load the database and you are going again. “Clearly
it’s state-of-the-art technology,” says Dillon. “We worked very closely
with the chipset manufacturers to make sure we have the best solution.
We’ve also put a lot of effort into upgrading our manufacturing process
and you can see that in the quality of the board. “You
can see all the tiny solder points on the back of the board,” he
explains, handing me the board. “There are about 800 connectors there
and there’s an automated tester that checks every component on the board
in circuit during manufacture to ensure it’s the correct value. “Boards
then go through an optical verification that can read board values and
check whether the correct IC has been installed in the right location
and orientation when that’s finished we run a functional test on the
board and then upload the firmware into the board through a single test
process and all our boards in the future will follow the same path. “We
are very pleased with the outcome – manufacturing these days is very
automated and that means there’s less chance of reliability issues. We
met international testing standards put boards in ovens and freezers,
and TEM cells, it’s not what you have to do but we built Challenger10 as
a platform for moving forward. And if in 5 years there’s an amazing new
processor available we will modify the design of the board and just
drop it in.” It’s
nicely done, I say, turning the board over in my hands. Considered in
the light of other board work I see this new Tecom panel is a study in
modern SMD. There’s nothing rough about this product whatever. And that
row of ports – RJ-45, SD and USB - keeps drawing my eye. The Challenger
v8 board is also on the table in front of me and it’s simply a different
animal. It’s
robust and functional and history has showed it to be very reliable and
it will still be available for those who choose to install it, but it’s
not in the same league as Challenger10. Peering at the top of the new
board there are whole suburbs of components that my 46-year-old eyes
cannot see and compared to days of yore, even the processors are tiny. “Challenger10
is 4 times larger than Challenger v8. From an output capability, it’s
double the size and its access control capability has also doubled. That
means 1008 inputs, 512 outputs, 96 doors or intelligent lifts, and 99
areas up from 16 as well as 32 RASs”
“Looking
at that board and remembering the manufacturing that was done when I
was at Tecom Systems years ago I was thinking there are hardly any
components on the older boards when you consider their contribution to
functionality,” Salman observes. “The
modern boards are so different, the technology is just incredible. It’s
more than 10x times the processing power of the board it replaces. It’s
2013 technology but it’s not going to be obsolete in 2015 – it will be
current because it’s designed to allow us to keep it current and to keep
expanding it – there’s heaps of grunt in Challenger10.” Something
else that’s clear as we play with the hardware is that the case has
lashings of shoulder room in it. That means there will be no problems
shoe-horning DGP expanders, 8-input expanders, batteries and door
controllers aboard. And there’s room for easy of cabling all around the
panel. “One
of the key things of this panel’s functionality is that we can run 10
concurrent communications paths,” Dillon says. “This means Challenger10
can talk to management software in a control room, multiple control
rooms, multiple management software packages. Consultants have really
latched on to this capability. Some sites want a system that can
communicate not redundantly to multiple sites but concurrently.” According
to DAS’ product manager – integrated access, Troy Payne, in the past to
handle maintenance or expand the system you would have to take the main
management software offline. “Now
because you have the 10 communication paths what you can do is still
have your panel connected live in real time to the management software
as well as having the technician online making changes and doing tests.
And you can configure the comms paths anyway you want to – it’s very
powerful,” Payne says. “And
as Martin mentioned earlier, you can also have v8’s and Challenger 10s
running on the same management system with the same look and feel,” he
says. “This
means that for end users and technicians there’s very little retraining
required. The installers bridging course is short – it runs for a full
day but we have had guys get through it in 3 hours.” From
the point of view of the old system and the new, what was the
motivating factor for its development, what fundamental characteristic
did the old system lack the new system offers? I ask. “Scale
is one thing – which we have addressed – that was not particularly
difficult for us to deal with but I think as much as anything it was
moving to a modern platform,” Dillon tells me. “We
needed a new platform with plenty of headroom in it – again, this is a
beginning, not the end of the product’s development. It’s like these
expansion slots – we are still working on exactly what they are going to
be. They’ll be communication modules, they’ll be lighting modules
driven by firmware which takes the risk of software away from the system
and increases simplicity.” According
to Payne something that’s very important when considering future
expandability is that Challenger10 has fundamentally moved forward in
its core capabilities. “Consider
that where the Challenger v8 uses an 8-bit processor, the Challenger10
uses a 32-bit processor, which gives you code expansion and it just
increases the possibilities moving forward,” Payne explains. “With
the new Challenger10, it makes it easier for engineers to make those
changes. The old Challenger v8 is not as flexible, so Challenger10 is
designed in a much newer language.” What about the management system? I ask. “We
are doing a lot of work on software,” Dillon says. “We have increased
our software team 3 or 4-fold. We have about 15 people working on
management software. This will talk to all legacy systems including
Titan and then Forcefield and Security Commander. We are doing a lot of
work on those platforms to bring them forward as well. Titan is being
released now. “There’s
been a lot of work done on Titan to make it compatible with
Challenger10 so as to handle all the functionality but retain the look
and feel you get with v8 so these can be managed together as a single
system,” Payne explains. “All
the expanded functionality of the new system is available in our
software platforms and it’s available in a familiar way. Installers and
end users will be instantly familiar with managing the new system.” Process of upgrade
Pretty
obviously, given the enormous installed base in the market, one of the
most common applications is going to be upgrades and that means the
process of upgrade needs to be simple. According to Dillon, a lot of
work went into ensuring the process was intuitive and not surprisingly, a
lot of work on the beta test sides related to confirming this
simplicity. “We
did a lot of beta testing in a lot of large sites” Dillon says. “The
installer comes along and plugs into the upload pins of the Challenger
v8 with a special cable the way they always would and then uploads the
database out of the panel, turns off the Challenger V8 then pulls the
plugs and terminations off and removes the board. “They
then click a radial button in Titan to change the uploaded database
across to Challenger10 – there’s a conversion application in the Titan
software – this migrates the Challenger v8 database to a Challenger 10
database in a couple of minutes. “Next,
installers replace the Challenger v8 panel with a Challenger10 panel,
then they re-install the terminations and plugs in exactly the same
places, power the board up and then just push the database down into the
Challenger 10 panel through the onboard USB port. Finally, they go to
the RAS and turn the system on and it works. That simplicity is really
the key to this.” According
to Dillon, one of the beta sites was a large installation with hundreds
of inputs and he says the installation team was in and out in about one
hour and ten minutes. “And
this is deliberate. We really want to give our customers a migration
path with us. They can keep their RAS, keep their door controllers and
hardware and there’s very minimal retraining.” Something
else that was important to get right was the power supply. It’s a
fundamental thing but reliable power means a reliable system – it’s the
lifeblood of the entire solution. “This
new power supply is second to none,” says Payne. “I know everything has
a power supply and it’s not flashy to talk about it but this power
supply is so smart it can detect limitation of the input current and if
it sees the voltage decrease too fast or too far it will shut the board
down bar the dialler and dial out and report a power fail. “Not
only that you have individually thermally-fused outputs on everything
so when they are pushed over-current they will cut and not cut back in
until the problem is rectified. Once the problem is sorted, the thermal
fuse will cut back in and everything’s normal again. So there are no
glass fuses, no replacing fuses, there are really no spare parts to
it.” Supporting
these physical capabilities, there’s powerful firmware functionality
for monitoring power condition that’s accessible via the keypad. “Built
into the Challenger10 firmware you have an intelligent power supply
checker so you can check voltages, draw, battery amperage and draw. That
diagnostic alone is a huge tool for installers. It can also allow
installers to compare diagnostic signatures so as to identify developing
problems. It might be cable degradation that will eventually cause
faults. Once the problem has been sorted the installer hits refresh on
the keypad and the system updates the status.” According
to Payne, Challenger10 is designed this way so that if there is a
problem on the board – say some one has cut a cable in the field and
caused a short circuit on the board somewhere, the system will start
shutting the board down in a way that protects the board and retains
comms. “The
system will shut down inputs and outputs, whatever it needs to do and
it communicates these actions through to management software,” says
Payne. “The ultimate task of a security panel is to notify someone that
there is an event – so it does the right thing and keeps its comms paths
open to notify operators or management that there is an issue before
closing down.” Conclusion
It’s
an understatement to point out that design and engineering team at
Interlogix and the distributors at Direct Alarm Supplies are thrilled to
bits with the new system. It’s rare to find senior management letting
real feeling creep into their voices but there’s no lack of feeling
here. “Our
guys nationally are just pumped – they’ve been waiting for this for
quite some time and so has our customer base – there’s huge anticipation
for this release,” says Salman. “We are already talking about the
release – it’s exciting and it generates a lot of additional activity.
We are so excited, we really are. The scope for us to retrofit is
brilliant.” It’s the same for Troy Payne. “This
is without a doubt the biggest product release within DAS in the 11
years that I have been with the company,” he says. “I am literally
bouncing off walls every day. I just can’t wait for this product to come
out. The excitement in the voices of the long term integrated access
sales reps within DAS when we talk about this product is ridiculous.” “And
we feel the same at Interlogix,” says Dillon. “I’ve been in the
industry a long time and I said to our engineering team that this is a
once-in-a-career opportunity. It’s not just about this piece of hardware
either but what is happening with the whole Challenger portfolio - what
is going to unfold over the coming years. This is the launchpad. We’re
all excited about it.” As
we’ve been chatting, Hills Industries Security Group general manager,
Rob Meachem has walked into the room and like the rest of the team he’s
eager to get the Challenger10 into the field. “Yes,
we’ve all been waiting a while and it’s going to be awesome, it really
is,” Meachem says. “What’s great with Challenger10 is that everything we
have talked about over the years is there - the backwards
compatibility, the same board layout, and that’s really important. You
can come up with all these brilliant new features but if you don’t make
the installers lives easy then you are in serious trouble. “How
do you get a future-proof platform without taking away the key
functionality of the past? That’s why I think there was a huge sigh of
relief when we saw Challenger10. It was what we needed. It’s powerful
and expandable and future-proof and installers will not have to
re-cable, they will not have to change the box, they do not need to do
huge training, they can just get stuck into it. And if you look at the
greatest product success stories, these are the things that are so
important.” Fact file:
Features of the Challenger10 include: * 99 Areas
* 255 area groups
* 16 inputs onboard (1008 system inputs)
* 96 doors of Access control or lift control
* Onboard SD card, Ethernet, USB RS-232, Dialler
* 2000 users
* Stores 10,000 events
* Programmable via LCD keypad of management software
* Automated arming and disarming time and day
* Simultaneously communicate with up to 10 monitoring stations and software packages
* Multiple holiday types over multiple days repeating annually
* Intelligent onboard power supply checked on keypad
* Multiple internal areas linked to a perimeter area
* Simplified cabling to avoid earth wires
* Auto resettable fuse protection
* Flash upgradeable firmware. “Our
guys nationally are just pumped – they’ve been waiting for this for
quite some time and so has our customer base – there’s huge anticipation
for this release” source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/NewsDetail/13-04-05/it_s_here_new_tecom_challenger10.aspx
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MELBOURNE’S Herald Sun has reported a gambler
used video from security cameras to see opponent's cards and scam the
Crown Towers Casino for around $A32 million in 8 key hands.
According to the report, the gambler was being hosted in one of
Crown's high-roller suites. Apparently during the play, an unauthorised
person was given remote access to the casino's surveillance systems and
was able to relay information about opponents' hands to the gambler. One
imaginable possibility is that a member of the gamblers’ own entourage
was allowed to monitor scenes using security cameras that were then used
to watch other players but this seems highly irregular and is likely to
fly in the face of tight official procedure. Victorian
Law Reform Commission report states that Crown Casino has "one of the
most advanced, complex and comprehensive video surveillance systems
currently in use in Victoria". In
the wake of the scam a gambling expert Barron Stringfellow told ABC
Melbourne that hacking a casino's security system isn't as hard as one
would imagine. "It's very easy to intercept a signal from many casinos
that don't take precautions." However,
Robert D. Grossman, a US security consultant who works extensively with
casinos, is reported to be surprised by the scam as it’s unusual to
obtain unauthorised access to a gaming surveillance system. It’s
hard not to speculate that if a third party was given access to cameras
it must have been under very unusual circumstances. Standard casino
surveillance procedures are strict, modern digital cameras generally
live on secure subnets with little or no remote access, gaming cameras
are separated from security cameras and gaming CCTV teams are strictly
vetted. Meanwhile, a Crown spokesman said the casino was investigating the rort. "Crown's
surveillance department recently reported concerns over a sophisticated
betting scam," he said. "A Crown investigation is under way and is
ongoing." Source: http://www.securityelectronicsandnetworks.com/NewsDetail/13-03-24/cameras_hijacked_during_a36_million_crown_casino_melbourne_scam_.aspx
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