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| The T24 units include high resolution digital camera, keypad and systems to interface with door lock release mechanism |
MOBOTIX AG, a leading manufacturer of digital high-resolution, network-based video security systems has released details of a successful implementation of its T24 Door Station technology at the prestigious City Harbour development in London Docklands to provide security and peace of mind for tenants within 86 luxury apartments.
The multi-million pound City Harbour development includes 7 apartments blocks situated just two minutes' walk from the Docklands Light Railway with easy access to Canary Wharf, the City and Lewisham. The original analog monochrome video entry system installed in the block in 1997 has suffered several breakdowns while advances in technology has made the image quality less than acceptable for what is considered as high quality by modern standards.
Following several breakdowns of the old entry system, Parc Properties, the management agency for the block, began to investigate alternative solutions. Following a rigorous tendering process, NIMATA, a specialist in access technologies, was selected to deliver a video entry phone solution based on MOBOTIX technology. The project also included the installation of a high speed broadband to provide additional value to tenants at City Harbour.
"The system has performed well since installation and we now have the option to upgrade many of its elements as our requirements evolve" |
The MOBOTIX T24 video entry phone units at each door are connected via an internal IP network to deliver bi-directional audio and high resolution color video to Grandstream IP based video phones within each apartment. From the video phone, tenants can see and communicate with any visitors and open the front door remotely.
The seven MOBOTIX T24 units used in the project include a high resolution digital camera, keypad and systems to interface with the door lock release mechanism. With 3.1 megapixels and internal memory, the hemispheric door camera records the entire entrance area from wall to wall and from floor to ceiling with no blind spots.
Each T24 also has a built in SIP server to allow the camera to communicate with the video phone in each apartment. However, this basic SIP server only has a limited number of connections, so NIMATA developed its own SIP server appliance to interface with the M24 to manage up to a 1000 connections from a single video entry unit. This also has the advantage of allowing every apartment to contact any neighbor as well as the porter directly from the video phone without incurring any calling charges.
MOBOTIX is the pioneer of a decentralized approach to CCTV which simplifies installation and operational considerations while improving overall security and reliability. In this decentralisation architecture, all image processing, recording logic and decisions are made in the camera itself. This is in complete contrast to most other CCTV systems, where the camera typically has no real intelligence and relies on decision making and image processing taking place at ’the core‘ of the network via centralized software or DVR. As the camera can store video within the device and only needs to send video to a central repository at the discretion of the operator, building owners no longer require an expensive and complex monitoring station or dedicated wiring across the site.
"The system has performed |
Tenants can now communicate with and view visitors in high resolution color before releasing the main door. Via the video phone, tenants can also pan, tilt and zoom the camera to get a better view of the surrounding area. The porter for the development can also view entry phone images from his cabin and communicate with visitors as well as scanning the area for any issues. Although the system offers a great deal of flexibility in viewing options, each camera and viewpoint is only accessible to authorized personal from registered Video Phones, PC terminals and optional mobile devices.
“The system has performed well since installation and we now have the option to upgrade many of its elements as our requirements evolve – overall, it has been a very successful project,” Ingles adds. Based on the success at City Harbour, Parc Properties are now considering working with NIMATA to upgrade several other properties it has under management across London and the South East of England.
