AXIS Camera Station Pro is a proven client-server software, for video and access management, for solutions based on Axis network cameras and IP devices.
A regular stream of enhancements means that AXIS Camera Station Pro is keeping pace with innovations in technology, within the video management software itself and also in relation to the growing number and type of devices connected to surveillance systems. In this article we highlight some of the key features and functionality of AXIS Camera Station.
AXIS Camera Station Pro provides the foundation upon which to create a validated end-to-end solution based on Axis technology.
It perfectly matches the complete Axis product portfolio of IP products and features to offer customers a complete, flexible, and reliable system. AXIS Camera Station Pro is both easy to install and, through its highly intuitive user interface, simple to use.
AXIS Camera Station Pro video management software is at the core of the Axis end-to-end solution. The complete solution is comprised of:
- AXIS Camera Station client and server software: handles all communication with cameras, and auxiliary devices in the system, manages of user rights and provides interaction with live video and recorded videos as well as system management, maintenance functions and logs.
- AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry: inbuilt within AXIS Camera Station software and provides access control functionality when door controllers and readers are added.
- AXIS Camera Station Network Recorders: easy-to-install and reliable recording solutions perfectly adapted to Axis wide range of network products preloaded with tied to hardware licenses valid for the lifetime of the recorder.
- Mobile viewing app for AXIS Camera Station: delivers remote viewing of live video and recordings as well as live communication with visitors and door control on mobile devices.
- Support for the full portfolio of Axis IP-connected products, including video cameras, body worn cameras, audio devices, intercoms and door controllers, radar, and strobe sirens.
- Access to powerful analytics applications to enhance the surveillance solution, including AXIS License Plate Verifier, AXIS Object Analytics and ACAPs.
- Support for optional cloud-based services powered by Axis Cloud Connect. This makes it possible to easily access the site from a web browser to monitor video, manage users and devices.
- Includes AXIS Data Insight Dashboard visualizing data to get actionable insights to take informed decisions about site security and resource allocation.
For systems integrators, the AXIS Camera Station Integrator suite is a set of tools to help integrators design, deploy and maintain AXIS Camera Station solutions and includes AXIS Site Designer, AXIS Installation Verifier and AXIS Camera Station System Health Monitoring.
Exploring AXIS Camera Station Pro
In broad terms, the capabilities of AXIS Camera Station Pro relate to live video viewing, video playback and search, audio, access control, and system and user management.
AXIS Camera Station Pro makes it possible to create a customized workspace with instant access to views and cameras in the system and integration of floorplans and external webpages. Ultimate flexibility to suit any operator’s needs is key. Support for multiple monitors (for example to mix live and recorded viewing), user-defined action buttons, and programmable hot keys are all embedded as standard features. Also included as standard are interactive maps, on-screen controls for cameras-specific features such as operating PTZ camera wipers, and operator selected video stream profiles.
To deliver the highest-quality video viewing experience, AXIS Camera Station enables synchronization of live video from different servers and/or sites simultaneously and, with the appropriate client and display, support for UltraHD 4K high-resolution cameras for clear identification of incidents.
Several features – including 360 de-warping, Axis corridor format and multi-sensor stitching – provide a complete view with no blind spots. Operators can define digital pre-set positions of areas of interest, flexible customization of views - combining maps, web pages, cameras and more - and create virtual guard tours to automatically overview any site.
Alarms and alerts can be set up to immediately bring operator’s attention to specific scenes and automatically trigger video recording and audio announcements. Notifications can be pushed to the AXIS Camera Station mobile app, making it possible for operators to respond to and investigate incidents in real-time, and take necessary actions from anywhere.
Enhanced playback and search
AXIS Camera Station Pro also provides rich functionality for video playback. This includes synchronized, simultaneous playback from multiple cameras and from different servers, along with video scrubbing, fast play, and frame advance to allow operators to find sections of video of specific interest quickly and accurately.
This is enhanced further by Smart Search 2 which allows operators to quickly search through video material to find persons and vehicles of interest. Smart Search 2 is powered by motion object data from the Axis camera. This can be further processed using machine- and deep-learning methods to quickly classify objects such as people, cars, trucks and bicycles. It is also possible to apply similarity search using a reference image to look for similar people over multiple cameras to find out the activity of a certain person occurring in the recorded video.
Specific sections of video of interest can be annotated with bookmarks, comments, and notes and exported to aid investigations and case building. Cases can be packaged in password-protected zip folders and surveillance cases shared with others thanks to the file player included, making it easy for the recipient to review the findings.
To protect third-party privacy captured in video footage, video redaction is included in AXIS Camera Station Pro, offering possibilities to mask people and objects within the video before export.
Support for Axis network audio
AXIS Camera Station enables management of the full portfolio of Axis IP products, which includes a growing number of network audio devices. Audio-in and audio-out are both supported: microphones connected to cameras allow operators to listen in to live scenes, in addition to providing audio recordings. While live talk and pre-recorded messages can be played or triggered through network speakers enabling the operator to proactively deter unwanted behavior as well as address people on site.
AXIS Cameras Station features intuitive audio control with the possibility to adjust volume or mute incoming audio. Operators can listen to multiple audio sources and control connected speakers to allow for live communication.
For Axis cameras with built-in speakers and Axis speakers, push-to-talk allows operators to receive audio and provides the ability to communicate live. Once a speaker is enabled for any camera, a speak button in live view is displayed.
Get valuable insights
AXIS Data Insight Dashboard provides valuable insights derived from metadata produced by various data producers such as AXIS Object Analytics. The data is presented in the form of detailed statistics, trends, patterns, cycles, and anomalies. It offers actionable insights from the surveillance installation such as anomalies, trends, and patterns to enhance situational awareness, gain deeper insights, and make informed decisions.
Integrated access control
Access control functionality is enabled in AXIS Cameras Station when Axis door controllers are added. Included as part of the AXIS Camera Station user-friendly interface, operators can easily configure door controllers and manage card holders.
The unification with video and access control makes it possible to verify an entry with video and send instant access control alarms to surveillance staff. It also facilitates investigations by enabling the search of access control events with synchronized video.
Setting up automated actions chains
AXIS Camera Station has a powerful and easy to use action rule engine. Operators can select from various triggers and actions making it possible to setup automated actions. Automated action chains help in many ways, offloading tiring work in front of the screen from the operator, allowing them to proactively intervene only when needed.
It can also be used to improve surveillance and overall business efficiency. For example, activation of a virtual trip wire in cameras with AXIS Object Analytics could trigger a recording from multiple cameras, move a PTZ to a specific pre-set position, and potentially triggering an audio message on a speaker, an output to turn on lights, and alert an operator.
System and user management
Cameras and connected IP devices across large systems and multi-sites can be managed easily with AXIS Camera Station Pro, along with the credentials of operators who need to use and manage the system. Microsoft Active Directory can be used to facilitate the administration of users, groups, device access rights, and access control card holders.
With AXIS Camera Station Pro it is possible to implement and deploy a server-based system on the private network meeting most business needs. It could be one site with a low channel count, or several sites with hundreds of cameras and other IP devices.
The AXIS Camera Station network video recorder range offers flexibility to design the system using a centralized server or place servers on each site. For system expansion AXIS S30 Recorders offer the storage and channel counts needed. AXIS Camera Station Pro also provides the possibility to use third-party servers as well as setup of virtual machines.
Customers can connect to multiple servers simultaneously to give a complete view across the system. Administrators can connect to multiple sites/servers and configure the setting of any device connected to the system, including the updating of device OS. Axis Secure Remote Access simplifies access to remote surveillance systems, removing the need of manual port-forwarding and router configurations. The technology uses multiple levels of authentication to establish secure, encrypted communication between a client and the surveillance system.
In addition, it is possible to access and monitor the site via the cloud from any web browser, manage video, devices, and users. This optional cloud-based service is maintained by Axis and removes the need for advanced network configurations.
AXIS Camera Station also supports enhanced device security, automatically generating a secure randomized device password at the maximum length supported by the selected device(s).
In addition, several approaches to optimizing storage can be employed. These include managing bitrate with Zipstream, AXIS Average Bitrate - a sophisticated method of controlling bitrate through video compression adapted to ensure defined retention time requirements are always met - and in defining video retention times for each individual camera.
As surveillance technology and the needs of installers and customers evolve, so will AXIS Camera Station Pro, enabling our customers to gain maximum value from their investment in Axis technology.