The Logistics of Security
Company seeks means to take advantage of IP-based system
- By Peter Jankowski
- Dec 01, 2011
Navarre Corp., a distribution
and retail support operation in
Minneapolis, previously relied
on an analog-based surveillance
system as a way to increase security and aid
in investigations, but the company found the
system unreliable for capturing high-quality
video when incidents occurred. Even if the
system recorded relevant footage, searching
through it was an arduous task.
Sam Hildebrandt, director of operations
for Navarre, was given with the opportunity
to upgrade the company’s existing technology
and immediately set forth on a search for
a security management platform that would
enable Navarre to migrate to a completely
IP-based system.
Specifically, the company required a system
that could take advantage of its robust IT
backbone, enable multiple users to access the
system from remote locations and streamline
investigations through the use of intelligent
search functions and video analytics.
“Security is a priority for the company,
and it is a cornerstone of our business,” Hildebrandt
said. “I knew a platform that would
enable us to capture and easily manage video
and integrate with other IP systems would
provide a high return-on-investment.”
The operations team at Navarre was specifically
looking for a solution that would
help the company correlate data from multiple
systems through a single user interface to
maximize security operations. It also wanted
to have the capability to remotely access and
share surveillance footage with other departments
within the organization.
Finding the Right Mix
Hildebrandt, along with Mark Sargent, security
manager at Navarre, reviewed various
management platforms, including the NLSS
Gateway from Next Level Security Systems.
The NLSS Gateway is a security management
system that integrates networked video
management, IP access control and video
analytics in a single unified solution. This
approach allows data from the traditional
separate subsystems to be correlated without
custom integration, while combined data is
available to users through a single, intuitive
user interface. The combination of these applications
into one platform provides users
with a comprehensive view of their entire security
operations.
“There were a number of things about the
system that intrigued me,” Hildebrandt said.
“The size and space requirements of the platform
are extremely minimal. But it was the
incorporation of multiple subsystems into
one, unified solution that I thought could
provide the most value to the organization.”
Furthermore, the NLSS Gateway met
the other stringent requirements of a new
solution as it included video analytics and
integrated access control, providing a Web
interface for off-site user access including integrated
video analytics and remote managed
services. Sargent decided to put the solution
through a rigorous testing process to make
sure it was the right choice and subsequently
chose a Navarre facility in the southern United
States to begin the deployment of the unified,
networked security platform.
Through the Paces
Navarre installed the NLSS Gateway in its
Texas facility in place of its prior DVR solution.
Sargent said the system was easy to
deploy and its auto discovery function immediately
discovered available camera feeds.
“It was truly plug-and-play. We didn’t
need IT support,” Hildebrandt said. “Overall,
the installation process took only 30
minutes.”
At the facility, the Gateway manages video
feeds from digitally encoded GE Security
surveillance cameras and two PTZ network
video cameras (P5512 indoor and P5512-E)
from Axis Communications. The site also incorporated
the Sony M3205 HD fixed-dome
camera, as well as Axis encoders (Q7406) and
Dlaltel PTZ cyberdome cameras. Facility managers with no prior experience using traditional security technologies
manage the system onsite. Even so, Sargent said the team was able
to quickly get up-to-speed because the user interface on the system is
based on technology interfaces found in the consumer market.
“The system is ideal for users that have limited experience with security
technologies,” Sargent said. “It is incredibly user friendly, and
those with no experience with the system have no problem using it.”
The combination of video management, IP access control and
analytics provides an enhanced view of security operations as data
from these systems are correlated and presented in a unified manner.
Also, these systems run on the same hardware as the other software
components, and the user interface is fully integrated with the
other integrated components. The power of the separate systems is
greatly enhanced when alarms or events are correlated with those
from other functions.
“The ability to gather information from these systems in one interface
is beneficial,” Hildebrandt said. “If this is not the way the
industry is going, it should be. We now have much more awareness
over our security operations than possible with prior technologies.”
Navarre has been able to lower the cost of investigations by leveraging
the intuitive search capabilities that allow security staff to
pinpoint relevant video rather than search manually through hours
of footage to investigate an incident. Furthermore, video analytics
“make our jobs easier, whether a simple tripwire is tripped or multiple
alerts show I am having issues in a particular area,” Sargent said. “Before
we had analytics, we were working off our best guess of when a
particular event occurred.”
Remote Management Services
Companies like Navarre that manage multiple facilities require mobility
from their security systems. The Gateway system makes day-today
tasks more efficient and more secure through its NLSS Remote
Management Service. This service offering provides users with the
ability to access, configure and monitor all features of their security
system from anywhere and at any time through Web browsers and
mobile devices, eliminating the need for on-site support.
“The remote service is beneficial to our group as it enables us to
access and share video with other departments or sites quickly and
easily,” Hildebrandt said. “For example, our maintenance department
uses video to monitor diagnostic issues and maintenance problems
remotely. This capability limits unnecessary travel, and therefore
saves money and time.”
The ability to share video provides the asset protection team with
more freedom and flexibility, he said, because the ability to access relevant
video streams enables management to quickly diagnosis what is
occurring in a given moment.
The Navarre team was so impressed with the results from
the NLSS Gateway that it has initiated a rapid roll-out of the
system at a distribution facility at its headquarters in Minneapolis
and a warehouse in Toronto. When those installations are
complete, approximately 100 camera feeds will be controlled by
the platform.
“I always look for innovation and creative approaches
to new technology, and I found both with
Next Level’s solutions,” Hildebrandt said. “The decision
to implement the NLSS Gateway in our organization
is the best long-term decision for us.”
This article originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Security Today.