Cingulum CEO Dave Albert says the offering removes the risk of loss of the recordings via theft of the cameras and recording devices, by recording two copies of the streamed material off-site to a fully power-, communications- and storage-redundant operations room on IS`s premises.
"The private security industry has tended to install physical security barriers in the form of gated communities and office parks, and in some cases a growing trend for on-site CCTV camera monitoring. But current laws seem to dictate against [physical barriers]. In keeping with the international mass move towards CCTV, and making use of other technology not yet widely used in physical security, Cingulum and IS have bridged the gap between these two worlds and in the process solved some of the latter`s problems."
Video and other hi-tech security-related information received from client sites is channelled into the national operations centre (NOC), where trained IT personnel can proactively monitor, record and report on any security situation. This information can be relayed to the SAPS or the contracted security company. Should an accurate, infallible record of the sequence of events be required, this can be sent electronically to any authorised body that requests it, says Albert.
Replacing warm bodies
"The SA private security industry is valued at R14 billion per annum and employs more than 300 000 people," says Albert. Industry growth is forecast at 12% to 17% over the next five years with electronic integrated services growing at the expense of the guarding sector.
The link to the NOC is made over a 512k Diginet line. "Tweaking" current compression rates, it receives up to 12 video frames per second for a reliable feed. There is a radio-frequency feed as backup to Telkom lines, but Albert says the NOC can receive "any signal in any format from anywhere in the country", and will make extensive use of satellite when roll-out into Africa begins next year.
"Our solution represents a major advance in two areas. Whereas before, the norm was to dial into the camera, and perhaps not get a picture, because the equipment has been stolen, or getting a terrible feed with four frames per second, copies of the recorded material are kept off-site in better quality."
The US and UK have employed solutions like this before, but do not have the bandwidth constraints that SA suffers. "ISDN or ADSL won`t be enough," says Albert. "Diginet is secure and dedicated, and is adequate for the compression available."
Instead of employing a 24-hour guard for R11 000 per month, Albert says four CCTV cameras, proactively monitored over a secure connection with backup copies in a fully-redundant environment, will cost the same and buy better security. Cingulum is installed at two residential complexes and the company is finalising negotiations with a cash-in-transit company and a major commercial bank.
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