UK City Migrates Analog Camera System To Gentec IP Platform

Genetec announced recently that the City of Manchester, United Kingdom, selected Omnicast 4.1 for a major system upgrade project. With approximately 700 analog cameras spread throughout the city, the City of Manchester is gradually migrating to IP, and all cameras will eventually be managed by the IP platform.

Working with C-ways Limited, a UK-based IT Integrator, the City of Manchester selected Omnicast for the flexibility and benefits offered by its new Federation feature.

“Where before we could only use either unicast or multicast functions, the Federation will allow us to use both those functionalities simultaneously, offering better management of bandwidth,” said David Walsh, technical installations manager from the City of Manchester’s Command and Control Center.

With five control centers located throughout the city to manage video from their older fixed analog systems, the Federation also has given the City of Manchester the ability to reroute all video back to one central monitoring station through IP. As each system is progressively migrated and rerouted back to the central monitoring station, there will no longer be a need for the other control centers, thus contributing to significantly reduced operation costs.

Additionally, total flexibility of the system has given them the freedom to work with their existing infrastructure and any hardware providers they deem fit. According to Walsh “this is very important when spending public money.”

One month into the implementation of the Omnicast system, the City of Manchester has already migrated 30 cameras from the Greater Manchester Police and 20 cameras from the city’s largest municipal park over to the Omnicast platform.

“Unlike an analog installation, the systems were up and running within hours and our partners could not be happier with the new system and its many benefits,” Walsh said.

Although in initial installation stages, the City of Manchester has plans to continue populating the Omnicast platform with existing cameras and is also looking into third-party integration with video and audio analytics partners.

Featured

  • It's Show Time

    I am one of those people that likes to see things get bigger and better. As advertised, ISC West is going to be bigger (more exhibitors) and better (more attendees). It’s show time in Las Vegas. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • SIA Releases New Report on Operational Security Technology

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has released an impactful new resource – Operational Security Technology: Principles, Challenges and Achieving Mission-Critical Outcomes Leveraging OST. Read Now

  • Cyber Overconfidence Is Leaving Your Organization Vulnerable

    The increased sophistication of cyber threats pumped by the relentless use of AI and machine learning brings forth record-breaking statistics. Cyberattacks grew 44% YoY in 2024, with a weekly average of 1,673 cyberattacks per organization. While organizations up their security game to help thwart these attacks, a critical question remains: Can employees identify a threat when they come across one? A Confidence Gap survey reveals that 86% of employees feel confident in their ability to identify phishing attempts. But things are not as rosy as they appear; the more significant part of the report finds this confidence misplaced. Read Now

  • Mission 500 Debuts Refreshed Identity Ahead of Security 5K/2K at ISC West

    Mission 500, the security industry’s nonprofit charity dedicated to supporting children in need across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, has unveiled a refreshed brand identity ahead of ISC West. The charity’s new look includes a modernized logo with refined messaging to reinforce Mission 500’s nearly decade-long commitment to serving the needs of children and families in crisis. Read Now

    • Industry Events

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”