Although we are long way from wholesale IP adoption throughout the security market, many mid to high-end applications are already reaping the benefits of IP technologies. The momentum behind the IP revolution and reducing hardware costs will ultimately see this new technology pervade all but the very simplest of security applications.

One of the barriers to more rapid IP adoption is a lack of IT skills in many security installers / integrators. Amplicon's Security Automation Division has been formed to help overcome such knowledge barriers and provide access to all of the key components for an IP Surveillance solution from a single company.

A modern IP surveillance system comprises three key hardware components:

1) High-reliability server often known as an NVR (Network Video Recorder)

2) IP network infrastructure

3) IP cameras / video servers

IP Cameras / video servers

There are many IP cameras & video servers available in the market today. Amplicon can offer advice on which solution to use but do not favour any one particular vendor. Our objective is to deliver the right IP CCTV system for you.

Video servers are used to add video digitisation and compression functionality to existing analogue cameras. This saves the cost of completely replacing cameras when upgrading to an IP based security system.

In brand new installations, IP cameras are used in place of the video server + analogue camera combination. This provides the image capture, digitisation and network transmission in a single composite device and requires installation of just one Cat 5 network cable. Traditional systems often require video over co-axial cable, PTZ telemetry over twisted pair and a separate power connection.

Power over Ethernet is an excellent cost-saving tool that allows cameras to be positioned up to 100m away from network infrastructure and no additional power connection to the camera need be made.

IP network infrastructure
Consumer Ethernet switches can offer a very low cost solution when building your network infrastructure. However, as with many attributes of an IP CCTV system, choosing the cheapest product can be a major false economy resulting in costs accrued from site visits and compensation for system down-time. Not all Ethernet switches are equal and there is an increasing trend toward using 'Industrial Ethernet' switches and media converters (fibre optic to copper Ethernet converters) for security applications.

'Industrial Ethernet' products are inherently more reliable with high MTBFs and proportionately longer warranty periods. Click here for a technical tutorial on how to build high-reliability Ethernet networks.

High-reliability server
Amplicon are the first company in the UK to build Storage Servers dedicated to IP Surveillance applications. The systems have been optimised to provide reliable video storage and are presented in a user-friendly format. Sourcing servers has traditionally been a complex process and usually the preserve of IT experts. Amplicon's goal is to provide the right product through free telephone consultation. We aim to provide a jargon-free, unrivalled service that allows you to focus on other aspects of your IP surveillance system.

For a technical description of the storage requirements of IP video, click here.

IP Surveillance Software
On its own, a server will not perform any specific video handling function. By adding IP Surveillance software such as the Milestone package from 'Milestone Systems', the server becomes a fully-fledged CCTV management centre, providing video recording, viewing and playback as well as many other security system functions.