Mauritius Port Uses IndigoVision For Harbor-Wide Surveillance System

  • May 19, 2009
Port Louis, the capital and main port of Mauritius, has invested in IndigoVision’s complete integrated IP video solution for a new harbor-wide surveillance system. The flexibility and distributed nature of the system allows a number of different agencies to monitor their own operations within the port. Based in a new central control room and a number of sub-control rooms the Mauritius Police Force, National Coast Guard, Customs and the Mauritius Port Authority (MPA), can access live and recorded video from the many cameras located inside and outside of the port buildings.

A port operation creates a complex security environment, which requires a surveillance system that is both flexible and delivers the very highest-quality video. Following an analysis of competing systems, IndigoVision was chosen because of its compression, video quality and the fact that it was a genuinely distributed system that is fully scalable.

"Brinks has always maintained a key differentiation over other system integrators by exceeding the expectations of its customers," said Vikash Augnu, project manager for Brinks Mauritius, IndigoVision’s local partner that designed and installed the system.
"In doing so, we had to provide the very best CCTV system for the port, which is one of the main trade entry routes into Mauritius and a high profile government installation. The site was very complex, which demanded a solution which was easy to install and deploy. As a key member of the system design and execution team, I was amazed at the flexibility that the IndigoVision system provided, while still being a very robust solution."

With some cameras located over 2.5 miles away and a number being connected via wireless networks the video compression used was very important. IndigoVision’s compression technology allows DVD-quality, 25fps, video to be streamed with minimum bandwidth requirement and latency. This enables PTZ cameras to be controlled smoothly over large distances and wireless networks to be easily deployed.

Each agency’s operators use ‘Control Center’, IndigoVision’s Security Management Software (SMS), to view live and recorded video from any of the cameras. An advanced suite of tools provides fast playback and analysis of recorded video and clips can be exported for evidential purposes following an incident. ‘Control Center’ is licensed on an unrestricted basis within the cost of IndigoVision hardware, which means workstations can be deployed for no more than a cost of a level-entry PC.

This was exploited by the MPA as three workstations, with 21 spot monitors, were installed in the main control room and a further nine workstations deployed in five sub-control rooms. The distributed nature of the system means any component, including ‘Control Center’ workstations, can be located at any point on the network. IndigoVision’s distributed architecture removes the single point of failure associated with analog and centralized network systems, creating a more robust solution -- an important consideration for a high-profile surveillance operation at a major port.

"The system has been a great benefit to the MPA and other agencies," Augnu said. "Petty theft has decreased, they have improved surveillance of the main gates, enhanced control and monitoring at the terminal and quay areas and a much better deterrence particularly in the customs area."

Each camera is continuously recorded at full framerate for 1 month on 8 NVRs, with a total storage of 16 Terabytes. Any ‘Control Center’ workstation with the right permissions, no matter where it is located, can access recorded video from the NVRs. The cameras used were a variety of indoor and outdoor analog models, with each being connected to IndigoVision’s 8000 transmitter/receiver units.

These convert the camera video into a MPEG-4 compressed digital stream for transmission over the fiber LAN or wireless network, both of which were newly installed by Brinks. MPA also use wash/wipe kits on their external cameras, which are triggered directly from any ‘Control Center’ workstation using custom commands sent over the network to the 8000 and then via a RS845 serial interface to the wash/wipe unit.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

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.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • 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.”