Fitch Surveillance Systems, Toronto

NEWS IN SECURITY - APRIL 2006

There are always questions asked of security providers when talking to condominium developers, managers and boards of directors - the one being asked more often than others is "what's new?"

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Certainly, what the security industry can first talk about is the revolution in the security camera marketplace.

CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) Systems

The rapid growth if not the complete takeover of the CCTV (closed circuit television) time-lapse recording market by DVRs (digital video recorders) has been remarkable. Now being able to dispose of tapes and all the problems that came with them is a giant step forward for everyone involved.

A secondary problem was created with the emergence of the DVR - as it provided a better, if not perfect recording - it now shows us that the camera technology we had was not keeping pace behind it. Our industry has used nearly exclusively the NTSC (National Television System Committee) format, which is 480-640 lines of resolution or about 300,000 pixels - less than a third of just a "single" mega-pixel camera can produce. It can be clearly seen that images of even the best mainstream cameras we use today are still not good enough in most applications to enhance and use for identification purposes. It has not helped that television shows on TV display to the world each night, remarkable enhancements of video images - technology that simply does not exist - which has only set expectations higher still.

The good news is - change is on the way! The "next generation" of CCTV cameras are here - they will provide many more times the resolution than we presently use in the security industry today and the images they produce will start to undo the justification in the CCTV business that we have used for many years - that "most of the value of a CCTV camera is in its deterrent value".

These mega-pixel security cameras come with much higher costs in several ways. They are many times more expensive to buy, they will use many times more storage capacity in a DVR and they will not work or be useful on any existing analog system and / or anything that uses coaxial cable runs.

It is important to know that when DVRs first emerged five or six years ago they were five times today's price. The compression technology then used to keep the recording space to a minimum was five times worse than it is today. Can it then be suggested that in five more years these mega-pixel cameras will be affordable for all kinds of installations?

For the present - it is important to wire buildings with the highest capacity cable and infrastructure we know of to accommodate these changes in the future. For the pioneers that will install this latest technology now, they pave the way for many others that will undoubtedly follow.

In the future - CCTV systems will come into an era where the quality of the video makes images completely useable for most clients and at reasonable cost, all something to look forward to!

To discuss DVR technologies, and there are as many opinions as there are manufacturers to make DVRs and vendors to install them, the arrival of DVRs that do not use a personal computer (PC) chassis is making news.

When DVRs were first introduced they were PC based only and after many years of trials and errors with the current operating systems, more and more manufacturers started making what is now called "embedded technology" or non-PC based DVRs. What this means for the industry and end-users alike is to have a DVR that does not rely on an operating system to function thus does not have an operating system on a drive which when it fails takes the DVR down with it.

As these units have all the information needed to operate programmed into chips that are within the unit itself, they avoid system lockups, protection fault and memory errors that have all caused service issues in the past. They also do not take up drive space to store an operating system leaving 100% of the drive for recording images.

Although PC based units have made advancements in eliminating these issues in recent years, the non-PC based units are continually gaining momentum in the market with all the major CCTV manufacturers having them now available. In a multi-residential application the advantages are many - size - ease of use - minimal servicing - low heat load -virus free operation - and no ability for any other program to be run on them - making them a very safe, secure and long term choice for a DVR.

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The next emergence we have seen is the desire for non-proprietary and integrated systems - systems that do not require specific vendors to service or maintain them.

Non-Proprietary Systems

This issue affects mostly access control, security alarm and suite security systems as with CCTV systems most everything can be serviced by any dealer. The DVRs may be the exception here - they may require a specific vendor.

There are many thoughts as to what non-proprietary actually means. If two or three vendors sell a product, is this enough to claim it is non-proprietary? It is suggested that if 20 dealers in the local area sell a product, it should be considered as being on the "open market" and thus non-proprietary.

In years past this was a larger problem than it is today. There were products sold and installed in many buildings that were unique to only a single vendor causing concern if the equipment did not function as it should, if service was not performed properly or in timely fashion or if prices being charged after the initial installation seemed excessive. In these cases how could a client change vendors?

Most developers and certainly the property management side of the industry have caught on to the fact that if a low price is bid initially for a job, it requires a careful examination of the products being offered. An assessment needs to be performed to see if the property will pay a long term price for the savings gained at the time of installation.

A list of all vendors of the product should be obtained from the manufacturer, questions should be asked about required long term service contracts, future access card / fob / tag / transmitter costs and service rates. There still are some single vendor manufacturers left and a few manufacturers that do not allow a client to switch from one security vendor to another if they are unhappy - maybe being ones to avoid.

No doubt that the more complicated the system is, the less likely it is sold by everyone - everywhere. There is too much technology to allow the manufacturers to have just anyone pick up product and attempt to install it - this causes service issues and a bad reputation for what may be a perfectly acceptable product. A program where vendors are accepted for a particular product is generally called an "authorized dealer" program.

There are big advantages to these programs - they usually require vendors to have factory training - on staff tech support - trained service staff - and parts inventory on hand in order to provide timely and accurate service. Even more important is most manufacturers desire to not want to associate themselves with a vendor that has or one that gets a bad reputation, helping the end-users by eliminating this kind of association before they purchase the product.

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There has been a lot of talk about "integrated" systems and as many "buzz" words used that invoke "high tech" visions in peoples minds, this word has been somewhat abused in our industry.

Integrated Systems

What is known as an "integrated system" may under a single software package, control an access system, panic / duress system. Suite security, door alarm system, off-site monitoring, intercom and CCTV systems!

There are large advantages to this, the most obvious being having a single database to maintain. Many systems offered in the market do not have true integration, using only the simplest forms of it and so it is difficult to tell if the features and benefits are there for a client without thorough knowledge of the product. Demonstrations should be made available to decision-makers to actually see how a product works and performs in a working situation.

The one area where only a simple form of integration may actually be desired is on the CCTV side. The volume of information streaming onto these single platforms is usually immense and by adding CCTV cameras to it - multiple constant streaming videos - it does not usually make a more reliable platform. Most manufacturers will keep the CCTV recording hardware separate and interface to it from software thus not overtaxing resources of a computer and its software.

Other advantages to integrated systems are usually less hardware is installed and the ease of use of the software from an end user point of view.

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With the housing / construction markets still on the upside another question asked is "what are the trends" - " what are other people doing?"

Marketplace Security Trends

In the Condominium multi-residential sector what buildings are designed with seem to revolve around whether or not the building has a Concierge. This is decided upon either a combination of size and / or what we call "scale of luxury". Buildings with a Concierge tend to get more equipment - full access control, CCTV throughout, panic / duress in the underground parking and full suite alarms.

Those without a Concierge, if it is not an "upscale" development or it is a rental building, most of these will get the basics - main entry point access control and main entry point CCTV only.

As the costs for the larger systems have come down over the years, the market has been gaining momentum, installing more security equipment in multi-residential buildings as they are being built. Security is now being shown on feature cards to prospective buyers and is being used as a marketing tool to enhance unit sales.

There has been an effort on the behalf of clients by Developers to provide a single device to open all doors in a building and one that can have a built-in panic button as well. For obvious convenience, these "clickers" that go on your key-ring, have a built-in proximity chip to wave in front of readers to get in through regular doors, and buttons on board for both of any overhead doors or gates and any installed panic/duress receivers in an underground parking lot.

Another trend is the entrance panel intercoms and the installation of "touch-screen" directories we have been seeing. These units are easy to use, some will talk to you in various languages, they can display custom graphics and can even take pictures of you as you use the system.

We have seen one development recently propose the use of finger biometric readers, and although being used as a high-tech marketing tool, the use of any biometrics in multi-residential applications may be limited. This is due to the reluctance of clients to give up this kind of personal information and the limited capabilities of these products to work outdoors and their inability to operate at a distance.

An issue that is rising in greater numbers each day is the client use of Cable TV provided VoIP (voice over IP) or what may be known as "internet" telephones. Although these are not related to the security industry, most Cable TV provided VoIP services will not function on most EnterPhone building entry systems that are directly connected to the suite phone line. If the building has an EnterPhone that rings the suite with a distinctive ring and one that provides a call waiting tone for residents, these phones will not function to answer the door. Unless the installing Cable Company either isolates a telephone jack in the suite specifically to answer the EnterPhone or somehow runs additional wires to the basement or main EnterPhone equipment location within the building, there will be problems for others to later solve.

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With older multi-residential buildings, there has been movement towards bringing these buildings up to today's technologies.

Security Retrofits

Competing with new developments for unit pricing in the marketplace and with clients wanting to have increased security for personal reasons, many older multi-residential buildings are installing new or upgrading existing security equipment. More buildings are planning long in advance and laying out long term budgets for security system equipment.

The most common of these in the last few years has been the replacement of proprietary access control, suite alarm and panic / duress systems that no longer are serviceable. In many of these applications existing cable can be used although many are completely replacing all cables for the sake of a more complete warranty. The upgrading of older black and white cameras for colour, the replacement of VCRs for DVRs and adding additional cameras have also been popular.

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Synopsis

With technology changing rapidly, both in the security industry and elsewhere, with the needs and expectations of clients ever growing, it is important to base security decisions on solid fundamentals. As clients become technology savvy, the words and images some may use to sell products or what a client may see sometimes becomes more powerful in the buying decision than the ability of the product or vendor to actually deliver the basic goods - something usually found out much too late.

The newest technology or products may not be the most viable, stable, long lasting or even available in the future, but should be carefully considered.

Most security vendors do choose quality products - some don't - and as technology evolves it will become only more important to have and to build a trusting relationship with your security vendor to help provide for you enough information to make an informed security decision.

Ed Fitchett
Fitch Surveillance Systems