A case study of the CCTV at SouthGate Shopping Centre, the outdoor retail district in the centre of Bath. Opened in 2009 it has 96 shops, restaurants, and underground car parks.
Peter Parkinson, SouthGate’s deputy general manager says: “Hikvision fulfills our CCTV needs completely. With the platinum service any maintenance or call-outs are included in the package, which makes Hikvision more cost effective. With its wide range of products, the underground car parks, cash points, shops and back of house service areas are fully secure.”
SouthGate was struggling with seven year-old, out-dated CCTV equipment. Some 30 cameras were faulty and had issues recording to DVR; others were obsolete and the maintenance of the old system became a major expense. The analogue cameras under-performed and the solution was neither upgradeable or scalable. The centre sought new equipment.
The Hikvision IP cameras were installed by a local installer, BWS Standfast Fire and Security. That company planned every aspect so that the shoppers were not disturbed during the install, which took place during opening hours, with minimal disturbance the centre reports; it took one month to install 150 cameras and accompanying systems.
Sales surveyor at BWS Standfast, Steve Hopkins, led the install. He says: “The focus on research and development at Hikvision is proven with so many new products coming out monthly. I feel safe in the knowledge that I install the latest and best products for my customers.”
According to the installer, it was crucial for the centre to upgrade from analogue to IP cameras, which can send and receive data via a computer network and the internet. Varifocal and fixed dome cameras help the security staff to see HD images from various angles. The infrared LED night vision means the camera can see up to 30m in darkness offering the installer adds clarity of recorded images.
And PTZ domes enable the security team to see everything from all angles; while PTZ (pan tilt zoom) cameras are in use for large communal areas. Network video recording (NVR) software records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other mass storage device. This means all content recorded in the centre is stored and available to view by security staff; which was previously an issue with the old equipment.
The video management software provides real-time live view, recording, remote search and play-back and file back-up.
When asked what is the biggest difference Hikvision has made to the centre Peter says: “Knowing that all of the 150 Hikvision cameras are fully working, reliable and provide high quality images and video is a huge reassurance. Security is of the utmost importance, so I am pleased I do not have to worry about the new system. The customer service from both Hikvision and BWS Standfast was outstanding. I look forward to our continued work together.”
A range of Hikvision’s IP cameras were installed including PTZ domes and fixed domes. As the centre is a large, busy, open space it is necessary to have all areas covered. BWS Standfast also trained each of the SouthGate security team in how to use each of the products.
