John Stark - Christie Digital

Online Exclusive: Collaborative Solutions for the Modern Control Room

With growing requirements for real-time video, graphics and data feeds visually assembled onto a large shared display system, the security control room enables staff to monitor multiple streams of information simultaneously and thus make faster and more accurate mission-critical decisions.

Collaborative Solutions for the Modern Control Room

Security is one industry, among many, that relies heavily on an efficient control room to achieve its goals. Functioning as a centralized, designated space where staff monitors the security status of and access to critical assets, security control rooms provide users with a complete visual representation of the monitored environment. With growing requirements for real-time video, graphics and data feeds visually assembled onto a large shared display system, the security control room enables staff to monitor multiple streams of information simultaneously and thus make faster and more accurate mission-critical decisions.

Yet today’s control rooms go beyond the displaying and monitoring of information to achieve success. New and innovative visual display solutions and more collaborative infrastructures are removing boundaries and expanding the ability to share and react to information for many of the world’s most mission-critical operations. By integrating stunning zero-maintenance displays with the power of the network, they are completely redefining the control room space and setting the stage for an increasingly distributed control room environment.  Across every sector in business, commerce and government, new technologies are raising the bar to meet today’s control room operational requirements.

The Center of Attention

Typical control room installations include an array of large format displays driven by a display wall processor that accepts inputs from a variety of sources, including desktop computers, broadcast and security videos. There are, however, faults with the traditional technologies and systems used; the biggest issue being that all of the information is displayed on only one place,  which means that anyone not physically present in the control room can’t view the information and therefore act upon it. In other words, the very strength of the traditional control room can also be its weakness. The modern workforce has and continues to move toward a remote and decentralized structure where working from mobile devices and remote offices is the new normal. That means the same information assets must also be available to the workforce in the field, where they are sometimes in the better position to make life-critical decisions.

The Pro AV market has attempted to solve this problem by creating and implementing AV networks consisting of a central matrix switch capable of taking any input signal and replicating it to one or more outputs, with cabling connecting all the spaces and the display wall processors. But most existing AV systems cannot be easily modified by the end user, and thus, require money and time to make the necessary changes. A new, decentralized interface also requires training to operate and the networks are constructed with costly, space inefficient media with limited transmission distances, such as RGB or DVI cabling.

To achieve the ultimate goal of providing the same information, presented in the same format, at the same time, to all users regardless of their location, security organizations—and others that use control rooms—need an easily deployable, flexible, open platform that enables simultaneous and simple collaboration across a variety of environments—from the control room, to the meeting room, to the office, to the field environment.

“The solution to this gap between changing technologies and the evolving, mobile work force is the introduction of network distributed collaboration systems, with visual display technologies optimized for these systems,” noted John Stark, senior director of Collaborative Visual Solutions at Christie, one of the leading visual display companies providing products and technical support services for the control room environment.

In efforts to build such a collaboration system, Christie has created advanced video walls that more cost-effectively integrate with users’ existing hardware and software infrastructure, enabling them to capture and analyze real-time video from multiple inputs in multiple formats.  They also recently introduced the Christie Phoenix open content management system, a new product that aims to eliminate the existing limitations on control rooms and redefines what collaboration should look like.

A network AV streaming appliance at its core, the Christie Phoenix node offers the ability to capture and encode content such as video or computer signals, control connected sources through soft-KVM, and decode display content onto one or more displays simultaneously. Multiple nodes, when attached to a users’ standard network, recognize each other automatically, recognize connected sources and displays and create a flexible mesh of AV streaming functionality.  The Christie Phoenix can easily coexist within existing network deployments and is based on an encoding standard which most consumer devices already have the ability to decode, making it a cost-effective addition to any control room, with a minimal learning curve.

Beyond the Wall

Video walls have also been evolving to better integrate with faster, more efficient, more versatile technological infrastructures. Among the latest entries into the market is Christie MicroTiles, a modular video display system that is compact and shallow enough to fit into limited spaces and can be configured to create displays in various shapes and sizes.  Last year, Christie MicroTiles were installed in the Dallas Police Department’s fusion center, where they are now able to handle signals from a wide range of sources.

“Our detectives monitor close to 100 cameras all around the city, including officer locations, calls and national live events, so the Dallas Police Department needed a reliable and versatile video wall that could help us maintain our 24-hour operation,” said Paul Schuster, senior corporal and special projects coordinator of the Dallas Police Department.

 “A control room collaboration platform, from the display wall, to the video processor, to the entire AV infrastructure, must be designed around users sharing information freely and intuitively, wherever information is needed,” said John Stark. “They are the key to successful security operations. Whether it’s homeland security, airport security, computer security or retail loss prevention, all are important in our daily lives.”

With the increasing need for open, flexible and more multi-user focused solutions to control room challenges, the introduction of innovative technology has become vital to maximizing the success of the control rooms, and thereby the success of security organizations. A networked collaboration system can remove boundaries and enables expansive collaboration for many of the world’s most mission-critical operations.

Featured

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

  • Study: Only 35 Percent of Companies Include Cybersecurity Teams When Implementing AI

    Only 35 percent of cybersecurity professionals or teams are involved in the development of policy governing the use of AI technology in their enterprise, and nearly half (45 percent) report no involvement in the development, onboarding, or implementation of AI solutions, according to the recently released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA, a global professional association advancing trust in technology. Read Now

  • New Report Series Highlights E-Commerce Threats, Fraud Against Retailers

    Trustwave, a cybersecurity and managed security services provider, recently released a series of reports detailing the threats facing the retail sector, marking the second year of its ongoing research into these critical security issues. Read Now

  • Stay Secure in 2024: Updated Cybersecurity Tips for the Office and at Home

    Cyber criminals get more inventive every year. Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve and are a moving target for business owners in 2024. Companies large and small need to employ cybersecurity best practices throughout their organization. That includes security integrators, manufacturers, and end users. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction. 3

  • 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. 3

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis. 3