The old sayings we hear from grandmothers and mothers often end up telling the truth. The union makes the strength and four eyes see more than two, are some of these phrases that are applied in critical moments of life when a helping hand is required to get up or to protect yourself and be stronger.
by: Mariangie Navarro
And it is this last postulate that the security industry and building technologies adhere to when it decides to join two or more systems to create a better solution.
One of the most recognized systems to provide security, is the Closed Circuit Television, CCTV, which was implemented for the first time in 1942 to observe the takeoff of a rocket and detect the failures of launches, since then this solution has become the most implemented in public and private organizations, cities, residential complexes, hotels and others.
Early CCTVs were composed of analog cameras that used coaxial cables to connect with video recorders in a central control room. The images could be monitored in real time, but the high cost of the magnetic tape recording system prompted the development of another technology that would meet the needs that were constituted such as DVRs (Digital Video Recorders), which recorded in digital format on a hard disk or other media.
After a few years new cameras were developed, smaller, with higher resolution and with less cumbersome transmission systems, and it was when IP cameras appeared, which transmit by TCP / IP protocol.
Another of the most used systems when it comes to providing protection is the intrusion alarm. This solution is established as a passive security element that although it does not prevent or prevent an intrusion if it warns about it in the place where it is installed, such as a home, a company or a hotel.
The alarms, provided and monitored by a private security company, are connected to a monitoring center that receives the alarm signals either by telephone line, a GSM/GPRS line, TCP/IP, Internet or by radio frequency. The report of the events reaches the company that provides the service, in some cases to the police or the security department of the company or hotel where the alarms are installed.
All this introduction about the two most implemented systems in the industry is nothing more than an opener to the subject that Daniel Banda, CEO of SoftGuard, and Joan Vidal, R&D Manager at JR Security Systems, will explain in this edition of HOTEL MANAGEMENT: Integrated video alarm.
Evolution of systems
As Daniel Banda mentions, alarm systems have undergone progressive improvements and incorporated features that have adapted them to the complex scenarios of the demand of a society with security problems. "The main change occurred at the beginning of the 90s when alarm panels went from being based on discrete electronics and began to incorporate microprocessors, which allowed storing information, programs and processing instructions, which have then allowed them to communicate signals and event data to alarm receiving stations in high-level protocols, among many other strategic functions."
For its part, CCTV evolved as described at the beginning, but neither of them had a direct relationship until recently, when software was created that allows merging the features of these two systems: video and signals.
Daniel assures that the new reality of the video verification of alarms makes it possible to reduce the false alarms dispatched from an average of 85% to 30% by its mere application. "Leading manufacturers in innovation have launched products that profoundly revolutionize the market and change the rules of the game again," he said.
Integrated video alarm
Joan Vidal explains that video alarm is a concept of fusion of both technologies – CCTV and alarms – resulting in an alarm panel with TCP-IP connectivity + detectors equipped with a camera.
Daniel complements this postulate by saying that: "it is a concept of fusion of both technologies into a hybrid product that multiplies the power of them as a consequence".
This system is characterized by the sensors of the alarm panel, which in addition to its basic detection technology, include a video camera to document the moment of activation.
It should be noted, as Joan mentions, that the alarm panel has TCP/IP connectivity as a basic system for the transmission of events to the monitoring center.
"This solution improves the alarm system with video-verification (which previously only provided CCTV systems) and improves the CCTV system by having infrared detection in the camera that is always much more reliable than video sensor algorithms. Also, the possibility of having a 100% wireless installation allows you to introduce video in places that until now were impossible to monitor by video, given the economic impossibility to install WIFI CCTV or reluctance of the user to the wiring, "explains Vidal.
When an event occurs, the sensor is shot and the associated camera records and records in memory a video clip detailing how the event has occurred and elapsed. That video file is sent to the central alarm station by the devideo alarm panel, along with the typical data signal.
Joan and Daniel detail that the monitoring of this solution is carried out through the provision of a state-of-the-art software, which allows the entry of data by TCP-IP and has a system of presentation of the images to the operator. This software can dialogue in the proprietary language of each manufacturer of video alarm systems, to show next to the event the image clip that gave rise to it.
This system works in a network because they require IP connectivity, so they transmit over any type of IP network, such as Ethernet and / or GPRS links. They also allow simultaneous security transmissions on both links.
Security for the hotel industry
This as well as other security systems are not exclusive to certain sectors, however in some spaces the solutions are more necessary than others, but in the case of a hotel all security systems can be installed to improve the protection conditions of guests, visitors and collaborators.
The video-alarm has been conceived to provide greater security, not only to the establishment where it is installed, but also to the monitoring company and the police force at the time they must respond to an event, so one of the greatest benefits of the system is the reduction of the rate of false alarms monitored, from typical ranges of 85% to 90% without video-alarm at levels close to 0%, usually up to 5% (a correct installation of the video sensors will always be necessary).
"This reduction translated into economic benefits by reducing costs in security dispatch in the event of alarm is greater than the difference in cost of conventional alarm equipment with respect to video alarm equipment," explains Vidal.
The second great benefit is for the security agents who carry out the service of review of the place of the facts, since the system allows them to know if there is presence of intruders, thus taking the necessary precautions and being able to go already together with the police.
In a hotel the video-alarm must be implemented to control and verify access to restricted areas, in addition to offering the client a local security service in the rooms, allowing the user to arm / disarm the capture of images at will, so that he could receive notifications of intrusion events when he is not in his room, all this can be installed quickly wirelessly and organized in plants, according to what Joan Vidal explains.
It should be noted that given the reluctance of some users to have this type of equipment, being a wireless one could be removed from the room without major complications.
Daniel and Joan say that this system presents a new paradigm in the industry and although today the cost of the solution is higher, the benefits will be seen in the final profitability of the service.
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