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Burlington mall upgrades to IP video solution

The new 78-camera system was added as part of a $60-million re-development project that included a 100,000 sq.-ft. expansion with 20 new retailers. The surveillance system at Mapleview was designed and installed by IndigoVision’s partner Quinn Digital in partnership with Hoffman & Company Security Management Consultants Inc.

It was the first hand experience of IndigoVision’s surveillance technology operating in the Mayfair Mall that helped the company to decide on its surveillance strategy for Mapleview. Santo Polito, Property Services Manager for Ivanhoe Cambridge, explains the reasons behind the decision. “IndigoVision’s technology gives us a flexible and scalable platform for our surveillance needs, allowing the systems to be easily updated as shopping centers expand and develop. This in combination with the company’s excellent partner network in Canada and the experience of seeing the technology successfully installed in Mayfair Mall gave us the confidence to use IndigoVision’s solution.”

The IndigoVision system’s distributed architecture allows cameras, video management workstations and recorders to be located at any point on the network. Mapleview exploit this capability by having workstations running Control Center, IndigoVision’s security management software, situated  in the main security control room and also on two managers’ desks. A mix of analogue fixed and PTZ cameras are connected to IndigoVision’s transmitter modules, which convert the camera feeds to DVD quality digital video for transmission over the network.

“We can add additional cameras and workstations for minimal cost, as the network is already in place. From a property management perspective, this has significant benefits,” says Polito. “Where there is no network infrastructure, such as the parking lot at Mapleview, we used a point-to-point wireless bridge to extend coverage. The five cameras installed here allow us to better monitor the parking lot and manage incidents.”

IndigoVision’s IP video solution can also be used to provide benefits beyond store security. The shopping centre management can access footage to help analyze events, promotions and footfall trends. Real time analytics can also be used for some innovative applications. Mapleview is currently trialing the directional virtual tripwire analytics function built into the video transmitter modules to provide the shopping centre with a count of customers entering two of the building’s entrances. This provides better accuracy than the traditional ‘Eye-Beam’ equipment installed on the doorways, which unfortunately double-counts people as they enter and leave the premises.

Video is recorded on IndigoVision’s NVR-AS 3000 ‘Green’ Network Video Recorders. Five units provide Mapleview with a minimum 30-day archive of video continuously recorded from all the cameras. The low power consumption of the NVRs help reduce the equipment footprint and running costs of the IP Video storage solution. One of the NVRs is used as a redundant backup, which automatically starts recording if another NVR fails or is taken off-line for maintenance. Evidential quality video clips can be exported from the system for police investigations in the event of an incident.