The Panomera multifocal sensor product from the German CCTV manufacturer Dallmeier is in retail use at the Möbelhof Ingolstadt.
As the largest furniture store in the area between Nuremberg, Regensburg and Munich, Möbelhof in Parsberg and Ingolstadt is for the home decorator. Furnishings are presented on total areas of 20,000m2 in Parsberg and 40,000m2 in Ingolstadt.
For managing director Martin Stephan, it is important to offer high-quality goods to his customers. This is why a video surveillance system has been installed in each of the furniture stores. He decided to use the equipment from Dallmeier following several recommendations. In all, there are three Panomera multifocal sensor systems installed in the store in Ingolstadt. They are concentrated mainly on the entrance area and the goods collection zone, where customers load the furniture they have purchased into their vehicles. Stephan says: “The cameras enable us to determine quite clearly the point at which risk was transferred from the warehouse to the collector. This is important for us for the purpose of ensuring the quality of our goods.
“The loading zone is quite long. Thanks to the amazingly detailed resolution of the Panomera, we can watch over the entire area with just one camera. That not only saves us the cost of additional cameras, but it has also made installation and cable laying much simpler.”
Besides the multifocal sensor systems several IP cameras with integrated infrared lighting and vandal-resistant dome cameras are in the store. These provide protection against vandalism or theft outside and inside.
The existing, analogue cameras from a different manufacturer that were already in place in Ingoldstadt were incorporated in the new system. “Of course, that was an immense advantage to us in financial terms, because it meant that we did not have to replace the equipment all at once, we could continue using our existing cameras, and change over gradually and completely to IP technology”, says Martin Stephan with satisfaction.
Until now, there has been no video equipment at the Parsberg location – and here, Stephan is using Dallmeier HD cameras exclusively. Recording from the cameras is done on Dallmeier appliances, which make it possible to create either a system consisting purely of IP cameras or a hybrid recording system using IP-based and analogue cameras at the same time. For analysis, the Smavia Viewing Client is available. Martin Stephan says: “For us, it is very convenient to be able to control not only our existing cameras but also the new HD cameras and the MFS systems via a single management system.”
A dedicated line was set up to connect the furniture stores in Ingolstadt and Parsberg. “This means that when I am in Parsberg I can see how full the car park is in Ingolstadt and open up secondary parking areas if necessary. This way, we can respond early and control the streams of visitors to make sure the shopping experience is as pleasant as possible for our customers.”
One feature that Martin Stephan finds particularly useful is the Dallmeier iPhone/iPad app, called “DMVC”, available in the iTunes Appstore: “I travel a lot, and this app gives me access to the camera images wherever I am.”
Stephan sums up: “Our old, analogue system has simply reached the limits of its capabilities. And so with Dallmeier, we have found a video system that is not only modern, but which can be expanded and most importantly will continue to deliver outstanding performance for a long time to come.”
