AEGIS delivers seemless control of both analag PTZ and IP cameras for major Airport

The introduction of the first IP camera in 1996 started a slow but steady migration from analog to IP-based video surveillance. Many end users welcomed the capabilities of IP-based video, as these new cameras communicate over the Ethernet network, as opposed to over coax cable used by analog cameras. With IP cameras, video signals can be sent as digital encoded signals instead of analog signals.

Although the benefits of a total IP surveillance solution are impressive, there are many end users that still rely on their legacy analog systems. That’s typically because the prospect of ripping and replacing existing infrastructure can be a costly one. Analog security camera systems are more affordable and have lower hard drive and network bandwidth requirements. The advantages of IP camera systems, on the other hand, are much higher resolutions and better wireless functionality.

To bridge the gap, many end users are opting for hybrid security camera systems. Simply stated, a ‘Hybrid DVR’ allows users to record both analog cameras and IP cameras to the same DVR. And, a ‘Hybrid Security Camera System’ is one that incorporates both analog and IP cameras via a hybrid DVR.

But while a hybrid video surveillance solution can be an attractive option, it can come with some challenges. One of our clients – an airport – recently called on us to deliver a custom solution that entailed merging their existing legacy analog cameras with new IP cameras.

In this particular project, the airport already had made a substantial investment in a large number of analog pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras and they did not want to replace them. They were very pleased with the performance of these cameras, but could not get them blended into the current VMS system in terms of PTZ control.

When they presented us with this problem, we delivered a very elegant solution that allowed us to still maintain PTZ control for the client. We did it both through hardware keyboards and through the onscreen keyboards inside of Aegis.

Aegis, which has become known as THE advanced graphical command and control integration software for the security industry, provides one simple common user interface for multiple security and information subsystems operations. The various components of a security system, ranging from video surveillance, access control, lighting and intercoms, even if they’re made by different manufacturers, can be integrated to provide a seamless, user-friendly control point for operators.

With our Aegis solution, the video transmission could go through digitally so they could eliminate the analog side of that, but they could still control the PTZ cameras as they needed to. This solution allowed the airport to keep their investment in their analog cameras, and replace them in the future, as needed. The whole system was blended into the modern digital transmission system that they required, and they could control both the IP and analog PTZ cameras seamlessly inside of Aegis.