AXIS 2460 Network DVR

Revolutionizing the Performance of Video Surveillance Systems

By:
Anders Laurin
Vice President Networked Facilities
Axis Communications

Axis Communications has a 17-year record of success in network-attached products and technologies, commanding a 69% share of the network camera market.

Impressive CCTV growth
but analog technology lags behind

Since the introduction of analog recording systems in the early 1970s, reliance on CCTV to deter crime and aid in criminal investigation has increased with each passing year. In 2000, factory revenues for the CCTV/Video Surveillance market topped $2 billion globally, with $1 billion of that coming from the U.S. market . While still a relatively small subset of the estimated $100 billion U.S. security market, J.P. Freeman and Co., Inc. project the CCTV and video surveillance segment will continue to achieve impressive growth and will increase nearly 80% by 2005.

Traditionally, CCTV has been recorded to VCRs (video cassette recorders). These systems are highly labor intensive because of the need to change tapes and perform system maintenance; and tape wear and tear is an ever-present problem. With the introduction of digital video recorders (DVRs), the storage media were no longer dependent on operator intervention or tape quality. Images are stored as separate units on disks. As the migration to digital has gained momentum, the many advantages of digital recording and storage have become apparent: ease of use, advanced search capabilities, simultaneous record and playback, no image degradation, improved compression and storage, integration potential, remote management and so on. For new and/or larger CCTV installations, digital recording is fast becoming the technology of choice. As popular and exciting as digital technology may be, J.P. Freeman and Co., Inc. finds that currently only a small proportion of CCTV installations utilize digital video recording. While this figure is expected to grow significantly by 2005, that still leaves the vast majority of CCTV users still relying on a limiting and inefficient technology. Who are these users, and what options do they have between older analog technology and high-tech, but more expensive digital recording?

The digital divide for smaller enterprises

Aside from the major corporations, transportation hubs, casinos, correctional facilities, hospitals and schools who have made the move to digital, there are literally hundreds of thousands of different enterprises around the world who want to use their CCTV systems for improved security, asset protection and more:

• Small retail shops 
• Gas stations 
• Franchise and retail chain individual outlets 
• Small workshops 
• Warehouses 
• Public utilities
• Dispatch and freight centers
• Cargo and luggage transportation depots

These smaller-scale businesses and satellite locations, normally with only a handful of cameras, require easy to operate, affordable systems for loss prevention and monitoring, production monitoring, as well as advanced applications such as quality of service monitoring and point of sale transactions. Yet, their reliance on analog recording technology has meant these enterprises can leverage their CCTV systems only as far as all those VCR tapes can take them.

To get more from their CCTV systems, these users need convenient, stable, and secure storage; minimal maintenance; integration of existing equipment like analog cameras; and the ability to monitor and manage their systems anytime from anywhere. Digital technology with its highly flexible integration potential has facilitated one potential solution to meet the demands posed by the small to medium-sized application market: networked video applications. But how to bridge the gap between the current analog reality and the promise of digital—and make it affordable?

Bridging the divide: the AXIS 2460 Network DVR

Axis Communications announces the introduction of the AXIS 2460 Network DVR, a revolutionary digital video recorder offering small and medium size businesses a self-maintained, standalone system designed to build intelligent, globally distributed video storage systems that can be monitored and managed from anywhere in the world. This innovative, networked DVR surveillance system offers real time recording for up to four locally connected analog cameras, simultaneously. 

Axis offers organizations more flexible options for recording, storing and managing their security and surveillance images than either analog methods or any other DVR system. Each AXIS 2460 Network DVR provides the foundation for an autonomous security system, perfectly suited for the majority of businesses who need an easy to operate, maintenance free surveillance system. With the AXIS 2460, stored images are available and manageable from remote sites, via the LAN, WAN or the Internet simply using a standard web browser.

The AXIS Network DVR makes video surveillance a more cost-effective and technologically sound investment for companies looking to expand or replace their current analog storage systems. When compared with outdated analog and cost-prohibitive digital systems, the Axis Network DVR solution offers small to mid-size enterprises the following highly-targeted benefits:
 

• Efficient storage. Significantly longer storage time than VCR tape and other DVRs due to patent-pending APViS, a revolutionary new recording technology 
• Reduce costs. Substantially reduced labor costs—no need to change, label, and catalog tapes
• Plug and play. Works directly from existing network infrastructure and records high-quality video to built-in hard disks—no costly installation or extensive cabling needed
• High quality images. Guaranteed consistent image quality over time and no tape breakage or deterioration
• No maintenance. System functionality and simplicity with long-term maintenance-free operation
• Safe. Reliable, secure storage through distribution of images on several hard disks
• Integration. Integration with many standard configurations including existing analog cameras 
• Migration path. A gradual, affordable path toward an all-digital system
• Stable. Completely embedded, non PC-based system, so no reliance on potentially unstable software
• Flexible. Firewall functionality and user level access control

The J.P. Freeman and Co., Inc. report on Remote and Networked Video Surveillance Market 2002 estimated that less than 10% of all CCTV users benefit from remote video surveillance in any way, and most of these are large-scale installations. That same report estimated that remote and networked video factory revenues in the U.S. alone will increase by a factor of 8x by 2006 and be well on the way to the level of total U.S. CCTV market revenues now. LAN and IP applications are expected to rise at the fastest rate among all possible applications of products and systems in this business category. These projections signal the potential for networked video applications to replace non-performing analog installations is enormous. And at the center of this industry space estimated to grow annually at 40-50% is Axis Communications. 

The AXIS 2460 Network DVR means that the potential for wide-ranging increased use for remotely accessible but locally recorded networked video applications, formerly only practical for major commercial, institutional, governmental locations, is now within reach of the small and medium size enterprise. 

The AXIS 2460 product features
 

• Self-maintained; no personnel intervention necessary for maintenance
• Resumes full operation automatically and almost instantly after unexpected power shortage
• Secure storage, each frame is sequentially recorded on different hard disks to prevent loosing entire recordings from an unexpected hard disk failure
• Significantly extends recording time and the time recordings are stored by intelligently reducing frame rate of less important and old recordings through APViS™ (Axis Prioritized Video Storage) technology
• Remote accessibility and on-line surveillance, playback, and management over LAN and WAN (Ethernet connectivity and modem support built-in)
• Triplex functionality allows simultaneous live viewing/playback, recording, and administration
• Advanced alarm and recording handling
• Easy search of alarm incidents
• E-mail notification and ability to automatically increase recording frame rate upon alarm

Small to mid-size enterprises reap CCTV benefits with network video

With the CCTV and surveillance security sector set to continue to grow 30% over the next few years, and the remote video surveillance sector poised for even higher growth, there will be many exciting developments and changes in security management. In addition to schools, banking and law enforcement—the main markets for remote and networked video applications—small and mid-size enterprises are ready to make the jump to the next level of video recording and management technology. Network DVR technology can impressive performance and cost benefits for those businesses looking to develop a homogeneous network of independent “satellite” surveillance systems, i.e. retail chains, transportation companies, franchise operations, as well as utility companies interested in providing heightened security from remote monitoring and surveillance systems. 

With more than 17 years of networking experience, Axis Communications commands a 69% share of the network camera market and an 84% share of applications such as remote monitoring and web attraction. With the introduction of the AXIS 2460 Network DVR and the unique APViS™ technology to extend the storage life for prioritized digital images, Axis further strengthens its reputation and market reach for those enterprises who demand the very best results from their CCTV systems.